


Once

by X_FabulousFeels_X



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Awkward Conversations, Awkward Romance, Awkward Sexual Situations, Childhood Trauma, Denial of Feelings, Enemies, F/M, Feelings Realization, First Order, Fluff, Friendship, One Night Stand, Original Character(s), Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:47:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 38
Words: 72,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24115996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/X_FabulousFeels_X/pseuds/X_FabulousFeels_X
Summary: After escaping her dreary life on Jakku, Korina Klovell is enjoying her new life as an engineer for the First Order. Unfortunately Lieutenant Stobek lets her know in no uncertain terms that 'desert scum' like her should not be tainting the First Order. Not satisfied when her usual bullying tactics fail to hit the mark, the Lieutenant resorts to spiking Korina's drink at the Officer's Gala. She's so hellbent on causing the other woman to disgrace herself that she's overlooked one tiny detail...What happens if Korina isn't the only one to drink from the tainted glass?It seems General Hux is about to find out.
Relationships: Armitage Hux/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 136
Kudos: 91





	1. New Opportunities

**Author's Note:**

> Greetings! 
> 
> I didn't set out to write this. A few months ago I was searching the archive for Reylo fics and somehow got dragged into reading a ton of Hux fics instead. Now I have a ton of ginger plot bunnies bouncing around in my head that need to be acknowledged. So yeah, there are at least five more Hux fics in my head right now. 
> 
> This is not my first time writing fanfiction although it is my first time writing for the Star Wars fandom. It's also the first time I've written anything in over a year, so please bear with me while I try and get used to all this. I'm already giving myself anxiety over completing the whole story.

Bellis Dene never did have children of her own. Her husband had died twenty years previous and the idea of having a family with anybody else didn’t sit right with her. In the end she had ended up with a different kind of family - three surrogate daughters and a surrogate grandson.

First to be taken under her wing was Miri, a teenage scavenger who had been sleeping rough since her father had abandoned her there on Jakku. Bellis had mistaken her for a boy at first due to her short hair and thin frame. She had soon corrected the older female and, aside from developing a pair of small breasts, remained tomboyish from the way she dressed down to her interests.

A couple of years later she had heard of a local woman who had died in childbirth. Her husband had passed shortly after she became pregnant with the baby - their second child. The deaths of mother, father, and child had left the first child an orphan at the age of seven. That child was Korina, now a twenty-two year old woman with shiny hair the colour of mahogany and an infectious smile that belied the tragedy of her childhood losses. She was currently sitting cross-legged on the floor playing with little Maxir, the toddler son of Bellis’ third surrogate daughter - Zeelia.

“Come here my girl.” Korina looked up from her spot on the floor where she had been entertaining the toddler boy to see Bellis on the worn floral loveseat patting the spot beside her, smiling warmly as she did so.

“Rina!” Maxir protested as she abandoned the game they had been playing with his ragdolls.

“You play by yourself, Max,” the younger woman assured, “Your mama will be back soon.”

That seemed to satisfy the youngster, who resumed his playtime with no argument, therefore allowing Bellis and Korina to begin their conversation.

“What’s up?”

“My girl, I worry for you,” the older woman took Korina’s hands in her own worn ones, “You deserve more from life.”

“I’m happy here with you, Bellis,” Korina assured, “Miri and Zeelia too, and Max of course.”

“And we love you dearly, but Jakku is no place for a girl like you, not someone who has so much to give. Your beauty and talent will not be appreciated here. It would pain me greatly to see you end up like one of those girls...”

Korina didn’t have to ask what Bellis meant by ‘those girls’, after all, Zeelia was one.

On a wretched planet such as Jakku there was very little in the way of work, and with no other options several of the young women - and some older - had been forced to turn to prostitution in order to survive. There were always sleazy types hanging around the outpost in the evenings who were willing to give up a few credits in exchange for some carnal pleasures.

Zeelia had became part of Bellis’ little family three years previously when Maxir was a newborn. She didn’t talk much about her past life, only that she had been ‘working’ since she had been left stranded on Jakku by her ex-boyfriend when he had broken up with her. She had initially resorted to selling her body as a means of raising the money to buy her way onto a ship destined for somewhere better than the desert planet. Her plans had changed when she became pregnant, presumably by one of the men who had paid for the privilege of her company.

Thankfully Miri had avoided that path thanks to her physical strength and vast knowledge of ships and speeders. The eldest of the three girls had managed to make a decent living through mending and building components for such vehicles. It was she who had taken Korina under her wing and taught her everything she knew.

When she wasn’t busy taking care of Maxir for Zeelia or helping Bellis with household chores, Korina would be found down by the shipyard, mending and dismantling as required for whomever offered her sufficient credits. The work was by no means easy, especially in the blistering heat of the Jakku desert, but she persisted out of love for her surrogate family. It lessened the strain on them, and that was good enough for her.

“I won’t be, not unless it’s a last resort. You know I’ll protect my family as best I can.”

“I know that dear, but you need to think about yourself,” Bellis patted Korina’s hand reassuringly, “Don’t leave it too late. Imagine how much you could achieve if you just took the chance.”

“Work is work, Bellis. It’s not much but at least it keeps dinner on the table and a roof over our heads.”

“It’s not just about work, my girl,” The older woman smiled and shook her head, “When you were a little girl didn’t you dream of having a family of your own? You’re a beautiful and kind girl that any man would be proud to call his wife, and look how good you are with Maxir - wouldn’t you like to have children of your own?”

“Of course I wanted those things,” Korina shrugged, “But I’m not a kid anymore and real life’s nothing like the idyllic dreams of children.”

“Just promise me that should the opportunity arise you’ll grab it with both hands.” 

* * *

Only a couple of weeks after her conversation with Bellis, the opportunity presented itself to Korina. It was just another day on Jakku - dry heat and blinding sun - and Korina had been working on the wing mechanism of a small transport that had seen better days - at least a decade earlier from what she could tell - when the shadow of a figure obscured the midday sun that had been beating down on the hot metal of the ship’s wing.

“Do you repair a lot of ships?” a female voice asked.

“Who’s asking?” Korina queried as she manoeuvered her position to better see the other woman.

The owner of the voice looked a little out of place in the middle of a Jakku shipyard. She looked to be around Korina's age - early to mid twenties - with soft facial features and dimples that accompanied her friendly grin. Her blonde hair was neatly arranged into a bun that peeked out from underneath a crested military cap, which matched the rest of her grey uniform.

“My name’s Mina, Mina Vane,” the short blonde replied, “I’m with the First Order.”

“I’m Korina,” she nodded, “Did you need something?”

“Well I don’t mean to sound presumptuous, but we’re here to refuel and I couldn’t help noticing your work on this ship. Have you ever considered making a career of it? I happen to know that the First Order is looking to recruit some more engineers.”

“Are you offering me a job?” the brunette’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“If you’re interested I can introduce you to Lieutenant Shif. She’s in charge of recruitment and I’m sure she’d be impressed by your work.”

“Is she here?”

“Somewhere around here...” Mina scanned the crowd for a moment before yelling in a voice that belied her small stature, “Lieutenant Shif!”

Korina stepped out fully from underneath the ship’s wing and followed the blonde’s line of sight to see a tall woman of around forty approaching. Her grey First Order uniform was somehow immaculate despite the desert climate, as was her ashen brown hair that was tied into a neat bun at the nape of her neck, again accompanied by a military cap. She smiled politely as she stopped in front of her fellow officer.

“Captain Vane, do you have a recruit for me?”

“This is Korina,” the blonde gestured towards the woman beside her, “I couldn’t help but notice her handywork. Do you think she would be a suitable engineer?”

“Korina, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” the taller woman extended her hand.

“Thank you, to you too, er...Lieutenant Shif?” Korina would be mortified by her jumbled greeting if she weren’t concentrating so hard on avoiding the transfer of any oil and grime onto the woman’s pristine uniform.

Apparently indifferent to the younger woman’s fears, the Lieutenant gave a firm handshake and offered a warm smile before stepping aside to assess Korina’s handywork on the ship.

“Impressive work - and without damaging the outer layer,” Lieutenant Shif nodded as she appraised the work, “You’re obviously precise in your methods.”

“Thank you, Lieutenant. I feel if a job’s worth doing it should be done well.” Korina shrugged, not used to her work being praised.

“So...do we have a new recruit?” asked Mina, who seemed giddy with anticipation.

“If you should wish to join us, I believe that the First Order would benefit from your skills, Miss...?”

“Klovell. My name is Korina Klovell.”

“Officer Klovell has a nice ring to it.” Mina grinned.

“When would I leave?” Korina asked, suddenly realising that she would be leaving Jakku - and her family - behind.

“Just as soon as we’re done refuelling.” Lieutenant Shif replied.

“I need to say goodbye to my family...”

“Go now”, the Lieutenant nodded, “You may collect a few of your belongings but don’t worry about clothing - that will be provided.” 

* * *

“I feel bad leaving like this,” Korina choked back her sobs as she hugged her family members in turn, “Who knows when I’ll see you all again?”

“No need to feel guilty, my girl,” Bellis embraced her surrogate daughter, “You were offered an opportunity and now you’re taking it. I’m proud of you.”

“I’m just glad my teaching paid off!” Miri exclaimed as she enveloped the younger woman in a tight hug.

“You want a job too?” Korina raised a brow.

“No, I’m good here. Got to keep these guys in check.” Miri winked as she pulled away.

“Stay safe Zee.”

“You too Rina,” Zeelia offered a one-armed hug and pressed a kiss to her forehead, “You gonna say goodbye, Max?”

The toddler in Zeelia’s other arm shook his head dramatically from side to side, causing his dark brown curls to tumble about his shoulders. “No playtime!” he protested, mouth turned into a pout.

“You can still have playtime, Max,” Korina assured him, “Miri loves playing with your toy speeders.”

“And maybe when you’re older I’ll build you a speeder of your own.” Miri added as a sweetener.

“Okay, so playtime? No Rina.” Maxir seemed to be satisfied with this turn of events.

“I’ll try and visit when possible.” Korina told them as she picked up the small bag she had hurriedly tossed a few belongings into shortly after returning with news of her job offer.

“We’ll look forward to it.” Bellis smiled and waved as she watched Korina begin her walk towards the ship that would transport her to her new job and her new life.

Her new life within the First Order, and as Mina would inform her on the journey back, her new home aboard a star destroyer named The Finalizer.


	2. Entitled to Opinions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who read the first chapter - you encouraged me to keep writing the story. 
> 
> Here's the second chapter. Next one should see things start happening. ;)

_Eight months later..._

Korina still couldn’t get used to seeing her reflection every day, dressed in First Order uniform - the standard overalls and boots closely matching the monochrome surroundings of the ship - although it seemed almost too elaborate for its purpose, ending up covered in all manner of things by the end of the working day. It was a fortunate thing that the laundry was dealt with by droids, because Korina had no idea of how to remove that much grime yet still leave the garments intact.

Her first couple of weeks aboard the Finalizer had been daunting. The size of the ship was her first cause of anxiety, fretting that she wouldn’t be able to navigate her way to her own quarters, never mind any of the locations requiring repairs. As it happened the locating of her quarters was made much easier thanks to the unexpected but not unwelcome news that her roommate was Mina Vane, the blonde Captain who had been instrumental in Korina securing the engineer’s job in the first place. She had inquired on more than one occasion whether Mina had been behind the decision to have them share quarters, deeming it unusual for an officer to be allocated lodgings with an engineer, but the blonde had waved off her queries with a shrug and a reassurance that the First Order weren’t so strict as to segregate their officers in such a way.

It did seem that the only private quarters aboard the ship were the ones occupied by top ranking officials such as Commander Ren and General Hux.

Korina had barely crossed paths with the two men in her eight months on board, although she had quickly realised that a good chunk of her repair work was caused by the masked Commander. At first she thought the numerous stories of Ren’s destructive tantrums had been greatly exaggerated. She had been wrong.

General Hux was somewhat of a mystery to the young woman. They had never had any prolonged interaction given that he was in charge of running the star destroyer and she was one of the engineers in charge of clearing up the mess made by Ren’s lightsaber. On the rare occasions that they shared the same space it was difficult not to notice the General’s presence, from his bright copper hair to the ramrod posture and poker faced expression, plus the fact that his voice was instantly recognizable - clear and commanding. The only time that Korina had heard him utter anything in a lower register was on the one occasion that she had mended the door panel of his office. The redhead had run a critical eye over her handywork before nodding and offering a simple, ‘thank you’ before sweeping out of the office on his way to the bridge.

Still staring at her reflection as she secured her mahogany locks into a slick bun at the nape of her neck, the engineer felt a wave of dread wash over her - the wave of dread that had begun to accompany her morning routine more and more.

It wasn’t the work or the hours that troubled her, not even a saber-wielding Kylo Ren. It was Lieutenant Jynna Stobek. 

* * *

Korina had been prepared for some mixed reactions to her recruitment upon her arrival on the Finalizer. A lot of the crew had spent a lifetime working for the First Order with some knowing nothing but. It was understandable that some might be unsettled by an outsider. So it wasn’t a total surprise when Lieutenant Stobek approached the new recruit as she sat eating lunch with Mina in the canteen one day.

“So you’re the new engineer,” the Lieutenant stated as she stood in front of their table, “You’re from Jakku, correct?”

Something about the woman’s tone unsettled the new recruit, and even though her expression was neutral her green eyes sparked dangerously, somewhat reminiscent of a cat stalking a mouse. It was difficult to look away from the other woman when her stare burned holes into her. “Yes, that’s correct, Lieutenant,” Korina extended her free hand to the woman, “Korina Klovell.”

The woman made no move to take the offered hand, instead standing rooted to the spot with her arms tightly folded across her chest and a look of absolute distaste written across what could be pretty features if only she would wear a happier expression.

“I’m not offering you a warm welcome, engineer,” Stobek sneered as she leaned over to make eye contact, “I just wanted to see if the rumours were true.”

“What rumours?” Korina’s brow furrowed in confusion.

“That the mighty First Order has lowered their standards and resorted to picking up stray desert scum that will taint our proud organisation.” Stobek spat.

Korina couldn’t recall the last time something had left her speechless, but that certainly did.

“Well that’s your opinion, Stobek,” Mina piped up, having been quietly watching the interaction in front of her, “You’re entitled to it but nobody’s interested in hearing it, so kindly fuck off and leave us to our lunch. Your face is making me lose my appetite.”

For a brief moment Korina thought she saw Stobek’s facade falter but then she seemed to straighten up and step closer with renewed confidence.

“Shame you’re not interested in my opinion, Vane, because I’d encourage you to be wary of the company you keep.” the Lieutenant smirked before adding, “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” And with that she was gone, spinning on the heels of her polished boots and swanning out of the canteen with an air of superiority so inflated it was practically dripping off her.

“Wow, what the heck is her problem?” Korina managed to stutter as she turned her attention back to Mina. It hadn’t taken very long for the engineer to figure out that her initial impression of the blonde was only half right. Yes she was friendly and excitable - much like a loyal pet - but she was also very perceptive and not afraid to speak her mind. Beneath the bubbly personality was a force to be reckoned with, and Korina was curious to discover what her opinion of Stobek really was.

“Jynna’s always been a bitch - and one with a huge ego - but she’s super judgmental about ‘outsiders’ joining the First Order,” Mina explained with air quotes, “Comes from an Imperial family and seems to think that every person not completely aligned with her beliefs is a rebel - or as good as.”

“Well that explains the mistrust, and I totally understand that, but is she always so...”

“Petty? Bitchy? Stuck up?” Mina offered, “All of the above?” Korina nodded in agreement before asking,“Why the animosity?”

“Honestly, I don’t know,” the blonde woman frowned as if it pained her not to know the answer, “Maybe she’s threatened by you.”

The engineer scoffed, “What have I got that would threaten her?”

“Look, that’s just the way she is. Everyone knows it - even Lieutenant Shif and a few of the other superiors do - but since she’s not technically breaking any rules nobody can do anything about it.”

“Well I’ve dealt with worse back on Jakku,” Korina shrugged before taking a sip of her tea, “I’m sure I can handle Lieutenant Stobek and her attitude.”

_Famous last words._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	3. The Secret Ingredient

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can't believe I'm actually writing and posting regularly.  
> Hope you enjoy the new chapter. The next one is halfway done so hopefully that'll be posted before the weekend.

Korina lay on her bed and stared at the blank grey ceiling of her quarters on the Finalizer. Her right ankle was propped up with a pillow and a white bandage covered the side of her face just below her temple. Both showings of her latest run-in with Lieutenant Stobek.

“Here, this should help.”

The engineer looked up at her roommate to see the blonde woman holding out her hands, a glass of water in one, while her other held two small white tablets - painkillers.

Korina shrugged and took the welcome offerings from Mina’s hands, swallowing both tablets and washing them down with a large gulp of water before letting out a tired groan, hoping that the painkillers were fast acting. “Stobek hates me.”

Mina rolled her eyes. “Yeah, well I hate that protocol droid from the lower deck, but you don’t see me pushing his metal ass down the stairs.”

“She didn’t push me,” Korina corrected, “She tripped me.”

“Irrelevant.”

She’d never had a real friend until now. Bellis and the girls were more family than friends, brought together by circumstance rather than any shared interests. Mina was different. Over the past few months the engineer had bonded with her roommate, sharing jokes in the privacy of their quarters, comforting each other with hugs and encouragement, and confiding in each other their hopes and fears.

Korina often wondered what her life would be like now had she not encountered Mina that day at the shipyard. Would she still be on Jakku? Would she have had to start selling her body?

It had only recently occurred to the engineer that she had never possessed anything that she feared losing. Youth and innocence had guarded her from the possibility of loss until both parents had already gone to their grave. Now she had a good job, as well as daily meals, a comfortable bed, and Mina’s friendship. She found herself unwilling to risk losing those things now that she had them. That was partly the reason for her tolerance of Lieutenant Stobek’s abuse, lest a retaliation led to the loss of her newfound comforts.

“Bet she’s gloating right now. You know how much my discomfort amuses her.”

The blonde woman scoffed, “Don’t be embarrassed, hardly anybody was there to see it.”

“I was escorted to the medbay,” Korina frowned, “All that fuss for a sprained ankle and a cut face.”

“So your pride’s hurt more than that sprained ankle.” Mina replied knowingly.

“Maybe I can use this as an excuse not to go to the Officer’s Gala.”

The blonde Captain’s head snapped up, “Oh no, you are not getting out of that! We get to dress up and have a little fun,” she enthused before adding, “Which is exactly what you need right now.”

The engineer shook her head slowly, feeling the medication begin to work its magic, “Fine.”

“Now, no more talking,” Mina ordered, “You should rest up.”

With a weary sigh Korina complied, allowing her head to sink back into her pillow and allowing the painkillers to gently lull her to sleep as her pain dulled, being covered gently with a blanket by her blonde roommate. 

* * *

Three days later both her body and her pride had recovered from the actions of the cruel Lieutenant, although a couple of her fellow engineers had cautiously inquired whether she would be present at the Officer’s Gala on account of her recent medbay visit. ‘Of course.’ had been the reply both times even though the prospect sent her anxiety skyrocketing.

It wasn’t just the distinct possibility of meeting Stobek that got Korina’s nerves on edge - this was the first big event that she would be attending. Sure, she had been to a couple of parties on the lower decks before now, socializing with other low ranking personnel, drinking cheap alcohol and snacking on whatever galactic junk food had been available to the person tasked with catering for the occasion. This was an entirely different situation. There was to be dresses, dancing, and decoration, with officers and employees of all ranks in attendance, even General Hux.

As far as she could gather from both Mina and her fellow engineers, as well as a brief conversation with Lieutenant Shif, this event was intended to boost morale while also presenting the workforce to a select group of guests - usually ones with credits to invest or political influence that would benefit the First Order.

“Are you sure I can’t bail out?” Korina asked as she and Mina stood in the elevator on their way to the venue of the Gala.

“No, you cannot. We’re almost there anyway,” the Captain replied with a reassuring squeeze of the engineer’s hand, “And you look great.”

The brunette woman took a moment to appraise her appearance in the mirrored wall of the elevator. She could count on one hand the amount of times she’d worn a dress - since she was a child anyhow - and it felt strangely exciting to see the way her slim figure filled the shiny red material of the floor length dress that her roommate had gifted her, insisting that she needed at least one good dress for special occasions. The blonde woman had also provided a pair of pewter coloured heels with an ankle strap, which looked pretty enough - even elongating the appearance of Korina’s legs - but after only minimal wear had begun to pinch at her toes. The engineer’s first attempt to walk in the heels had ended up looking anything but graceful, but she had eventually managed to disguise her wobbly gait by taking slower strides that reduced the amount of pressure on her feet.

“So do you,” Korina replied, still a little stunned by the transformation of her roommate, “You’re like a different person!”

Mina’s dimples deepened as she grinned up at the taller woman. Even with heels she was still shorter than her roommate, but that was easily forgotten when admiring her hourglass figure, draped in a one-shouldered dress of cobalt blue that bled into a dark navy as it reached the floor.

The engineer felt slightly envious of the blonde woman’s figure, comparing it unfavorably with her own which had spent over a decade surviving on little food - some not exactly packed with nourishment - although it was toned from the years of physical labour, lifting heavy ship parts and similar tasks.

The familiar beeping of the elevator signaled the duo’s arrival at the venue and they prepared to exit.

Korina was unprepared for the scene that greeted her the moment that the doors whooshed open.

The usually monochrome surroundings had been transformed with various decorations of red and silver, even some gold, from drapes and tablecloths to ribbons and lights. Music was playing from somewhere further inside, presumably with actual instruments, and several people were already taking a turn around the dancefloor with their partners. Korina tensed for a moment as she pondered whether somebody would ask her to dance. She hoped not.

“See, not so bad,” Mina’s voice sounded in her ear, “Let’s go get a drink.”

“Good idea!” the engineer agreed, following the blonde head of her roommate through the mass of well dressed guests, too busy chatting to register the two women approaching on their way to the bar.

“Good evening, what can I get you ladies?” asked the bartender with a smile.

“Something sweet and bubbly, like me!”

Korina couldn’t help but giggle at her roommate’s comment, especially when it was accompanied by the shorter woman’s attempt to lift her bottom onto a barstool. The blonde managed to get seated on her second attempt, avoiding the need to seek the engineer’s assistance.

“Sweet and bubbly, coming right up!” the bartender nodded as he began gathering various bottles and mixing a cocktail, “And for you, Miss?” he inquired as he placed a tall glass of plum coloured liquid in front of Mina.

“Preferably something strong for my nerves, what do you recommend?” asked the brunette.

“If you’re after something with a kick, try this,” he replied as he measured out some more liquids.

“What is it?” Korina quizzed as she eyed the deep orange drink with a spicy aroma.

“One part Corellian whiskey, one part spiced jybbuk-fruit punch, and one part Sullustan gin.”

The brunette cautiously took a sip. Her face twisted into a grimace as she felt the spice hit the back of her throat, followed by a warm burning sensation that seemed to travel straight down to her stomach, but just when she was about to retch a sweet fruity aftertaste filled her mouth. “Not bad,” she cleared her throat, “You weren’t kidding when you said it had a kick.”

The bartender simply shrugged and moved to serve somebody at the opposite end of the bar. 

* * *

Jynna Stobek allowed a smirk to cross her features. This was going to work, her plan would be successful and that desert whore would disgrace herself so badly that the First Order would have no choice but to get rid. Or perhaps she’d be so embarrassed that she’d quit first. The prospect of erasing that scum from her ship excited the Lieutenant and she began gleefully twirling the pendant around her neck as she slipped quietly towards the bar.

She knew there was only a small window to put her plan into action and she had timed it in her head over and over again. The sound of General Hux’s voice attracted the attention of all guests as he began to recite one of his prideful speeches - so predictable - but useful as it afforded Jynna the opportunity to sneak to the bar unobserved, and creep close enough to the engineer’s drink, unscrewing her pendant with ease before dumping the powder it concealed into the orange liquid where it quickly dissolved.

Casually sauntering over to her previous position Lieutenant Stobek joined in the applause that accompanied the end of Hux’s speech. She struggled to contain her excitement and exhilaration at having pulled off the spiking of Klovell’s drink, schooling her features into a pleasant smile as one of the TIE pilots approached to ask her for a dance, which she happily accepted now that her work was done.

The desert scum would finish her drink and fall under the influence of the added ingredient. _Perfect_. 

* * *

“Mm, I think I’m gonna have another one of those,” Mina licked her lips as she drained her glass of the purple cocktail, “How about you?” she inquired as she eyed the still half-measure of liquid in her roommate’s hand.

“I could go for something less...burning.” Korina replied, eyeing her drink with disinterest. 

“Stop drinking it then!” the blonde laughed at the engineer’s expression.

“I can’t,” she replied, “I’d feel bad letting it go to waste.”

The Captain rolled her eyes as she chewed on the end of a drinking straw, allowing it to fall from her mouth as she spied something over her roommate’s shoulder.

“Is that Corellian whiskey?”

Korina swiveled around to meet the face she was sure matched the voice - and was proven correct as her brown eyes met the deep blue of General Hux’s. The engineer looked down at her glass, “Among other things, yes. It’s rather strong.”

“Then allow me to take it off your hands,” the redhead offered, “I could do with a stiff drink.”

Sliding the half-full glass across the surface of the bar, Korina offered a small shrug, “Be my guest.”

“To the First Order.” Hux uttered before downing the remaining liquid in one go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	4. That's No Dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you're all enjoying the story because I'm enjoying writing it. 
> 
> Anyway this chapter was going to be super long so I've decided to split it into two parts. The next chapter will be a continuation of this one. And I'm out of practice when it comes to writing sex scenes - although I've never been one to get explicit - so hopefully that reads okay. 
> 
> Hopefully the next chapter will be up before the weekend's over.

This was the weirdest dream Korina had ever had. It was not her first sex dream, but it was definitely the first one in which she was doing it with her boss...

She was lying back on a bed that was so large that she could stretch out her arms and slide her hands over the soft black bedsheets that smelled like a beautiful mix of caf, whiskey, and cologne. Her bra felt far too constricting so she sat up and unhooked it before tossing it to the side and taking the opportunity to look at the mystery man who was kissing his way down her body and hooking his thumbs into the waistband of her panties. His hair was red, she noticed, similar to General Hux’s. She shuffled up onto her elbows in order to get a better look, finding herself looking into darkened blue eyes, realizing all at once that the man in her dream _was_ Hux!

She opened her mouth to speak as she watched him slide the black, standard issue underwear down her legs and toss it over his shoulder, marveling at how her imagination had conjured up this dream version of the General, no longer serious and intimidating, but lustful and relaxed. Her inability to speak continued as her mind went completely blank at the feeling of his hands and mouth on her lower regions.

_Wow, dream Hux was good at this!_

The engineer was suddenly aware that the delighted moans of ecstasy echoing off the walls were coming from her own mouth as she reached the peak of her pleasure, not at all fazed by the control he had over her, content to let him do as he pleased because it felt so unbelievably good - as if every sensation was amplified tenfold.

His lightly flushed face appeared in her line of vision as he crawled back up the bed and covered her body with his own. His enticingly soft lips met her own and she moaned into the kiss as she grazed his shoulders with her nails, relishing the warmth and weight of his body atop her. The sensation of his hardened length against her thigh made Korina gasp, and she swore she saw dream Hux smile before he attacked her neck and collarbone with his magic mouth. She closed her eyes and pushed gently against his pale shoulders, meeting his gaze and conveying that as much as she enjoyed his kisses and touches her body was desperately yearning for the arousal she could feel at her thigh, so close yet so far from where she needed him to be.

He didn’t break eye contact as one hand lazily caressed her cheek and skimmed down past her neck, over her breast and across her stomach before reaching her thigh and grasping the part of him that his lover was aching to have inside her. She gave a satisfied moan as he granted her wish, easing into her slowly and grabbing her hips as he angled their bodies and began thrusting, starting slow and sensual but gradually increasing speed until stars appeared in front of Korina’s eyes and she whimpered her way through a second climax.

Dream Hux squeezed his own eyes shut and took a tighter grip of her hips as he approached his own release, panting huskily as his hips began to transition into an erratic pace before stuttering to a halt as he cried out in ecstasy. Korina gazed up at her lover and found herself mesmerized by what she saw.

In her limited experience a man’s climax was evidenced by the way his face twisted into a grimace as a rough, almost pained grunt spilled from his mouth. But this man - this dream imagining of the General, was something else entirely, and Korina hoped desperately that she remembered this image when she awoke from her dream.

A light sheen of sweat covered Hux’s pale skin, his slim but lean physique tensed as he threw his head back, lips parted as two strands of hair strayed from his usual slicked back style to fall across his brow. It was almost like she was watching in slow motion as the General hissed a curse under his breath and stilled. A fraction of a second later the brunette felt the sensation of warmth coating her insides.

The lovers’ spent bodies collapsed into a heap on the bed, chests rising and falling with panting breaths that drifted into soft snores as sleep claimed them both. 

* * *

Korina awoke feeling a little worse for wear.

Her head was fuzzy with sleep but vague memories of the Gala came to mind, from laughter and dancing with Mina to sipping on a glass of fruity wine that was a vast improvement on her first drink. She could also recall General Hux finishing off the rest of the burning beverage, which probably explained why she had dreamed of him. _And what a wonderful dream that was..._

Entertaining the idea of grabbing an extra hour of sleep she relaxed into her mattress and made to stretch out, freezing her actions as she made contact with something, or rather someone. She didn’t need to look to know it was another person, suddenly becoming aware of the warmth radiating from the mystery bedfellow. Taking a soft inhale the woman’s eyes widened as she noted a scent that was not her own. It smelled faintly like caf and whiskey with a hint of cologne.

All of a sudden Korina began to register several things; the size of the bed, the masculine scent on the pillows, and the sensation between her legs which had gone unnoticed until she began arranging the pieces of the puzzle. Moving her gaze to the side without fully turning her head, the woman gasped involuntarily as she eyed the disheveled ginger locks of General Hux.

_Oh stars! Last night hadn’t been a dream... She had actually slept with her superior._

“What happened?” Hux’s sleepy voice asked as he rolled over, his hand made to touch the pillow but made contact with something else instead - and that something had a pulse... The General froze and snatched his hand back, gripping the bedsheets before opening his blue eyes and taking in his mystery bedfellow.

“What in the name of...” Hux looked rather horrified, “How did you get in here?”

“I don’t know!" she began to ramble, "I was kind of hoping you did since I can only recall parts of last night...”

Without warning the General lifted the bedsheets and inspected his naked form before his eyes drifted over to Korina, who was trying unsuccessfully to cover her bare body with one of his pillows, although trying to retain some of her dignity seemed like a lost cause at that moment.

“We had sex.” he stated frankly, not as a question but as fact.

“It uh, definitely seems that way...” Korina averted her brown eyes from the expanse of pale skin currently exposed to her.

“I didn’t force myself on you, did I?” he asked anxiously, “And are you on any type of birth control?”

“No, I think it was consensual, Sir.” she replied, “And I have a standard First Order contraceptive implant.”

Hux nodded and his shoulders relaxed a little.

_Then came an awkward silence._

“Permission to speak freely, General?”

The redhead eyed his bedfellow with silent curiosity and a slight hint of amusement. As much as the man demanded and appreciated correct protocol and respect of his superior rank, the fact that she asked as seriously as she would on duty and with obvious apprehension seemed overly formal when he and the young woman had been intimately entwined only a few hours prior.

“Permission granted.”

“I’m sorry, I honestly have no idea what happened for me to end up here,” she explained before attempting to salvage her career, “I understand that this situation looks bad for us both, especially you and your reputation, but I humbly ask that you please consider transferring me to another post rather than firing me from the First Order.”

“Miss Klovell,” Hux cleared his throat and angled his body to face her, “While I have never found myself in this position before, nor planned for such an occurrence, I see no reason for your transfer nor dismissal from your post.”

“Really?” Korina exhaled deeply in relief.

“Based on the information available I’d say your job is safe. Had you manipulated this situation, for example to blackmail me or gain access to my private quarters, I can guarantee that my reaction would be very different.”

The woman suppressed the urge to make a witty remark about gaining access to his ‘private quarters’ last night, but she was almost certain that he would not be amused by this, nor would it be wise to make him think twice about firing her. Instead she asked him something.

“How do you know my name?”

“I know the names of everyone aboard my ship, _Korina_.”

They had fallen into another awkward silence when the General looked up at the engineer, looking suddenly more alert as his blue orbs widened with realization, “The drink, we both drank it.” he stated calmly.

“Huh?”

“There must have been something in the drink,” Hux reasoned, “That bartender must have slipped something into the glass.”

“No way," Korina shook her head, "I saw him make the drink, saw it with my own eyes.”

“Then who,” the redhead pondered, “Would be trying to drug you? Because it was obviously meant for you.”

The brunette tensed as one name echoed around inside her head; Lieutenant Stobek. It had to be.

The General’s intense gaze was trained on the engineer’s expression, seeing the way her jaw slackened and her eyes widened in realization, “You suspect somebody,” he stated, “Who?”

“Lieutenant Jynna Stobek,” the brunette sighed before explaining, “She’s been harassing me ever since I arrived on the ship. Things had escalated recently but I’d never have imagined her doing something as serious as drugging me.”

“Can you prove it was her?”

“No, and she’d never admit her guilt.” Korina sighed.

Hux nodded, still analyzing the situation with his usual military precision, “Then we shall get proof.”

“How?”

“We say nothing about what has happened here,” the General replied, “As far as she knows you drank the whole glass.”

“But we don’t know exactly what was in it, or what the effects were supposed to be.”

Hux grabbed his datapad from the bedside table and hastily typed something into it. Korina was about to ask what he was doing when the datapad beeped and a green light flashed to signal the arrival of a new message. He opened the message and nodded to himself before addressing the engineer.

“We should make ourselves decent,” he told her, “I’ve requested someone from the medbay to come and collect samples in order to test us both and identify the drug that was used.”

Korina nodded in agreement albeit with some concern at the prospect of having blood drawn. She was about to confess how much she _hated_ needles but the words died in her mouth and were replaced by a sudden shriek as the redhead flung back the bedcovers and got up to go to the refresher. He looked over his shoulder at the woman and shook his head slowly as she averted her eyes from his naked form, still clutching the pillow to her body like a security blanket. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	5. Little Reminders

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! Next one already in progress.  
> Thank you so much to everybody reading the story. 
> 
> Just a reminder: this chapter picks up right where the previous one ends!

It had, annoyingly, only taken a few minutes for the General to re-emerge from the refresher looking as polished as he did every day; crease-free uniform, impeccably neat hair, and boots so shiny you could admire your reflection in them. The only things lacking from his charcoal ensemble were his leather gloves, and of course his greatcoat. 

Having unintentionally seen the man naked now, Korina surmised that those accents of his uniform were designed to project power and provoke greater intimidation than his slim figure did alone, although she knew from experience that his physical appearance was not required to set the nerves of the crew on edge. On more than one occasion she had witnessed poor Lieutenant Mitaka freeze in fear upon hearing the General’s voice via his commlink. 

“You know, if you like that pillow so much you can keep it.” 

The engineer’s gaze dropped to her lap as she realized that her hands still held the bedding like it were an anchor to keep herself composed amidst the strange situation that she had found herself in. 

“No, Sir. I’ll just...may I?” she nodded towards the door that Hux had just emerged from. 

“By all means, feel free to use the facilities.” the redhead gave a barely visible smirk as he adjusted his cuffs. 

Korina muttered her thanks as she finally discarded the pillow and made her way to the refresher, burning with embarrassment as she spied her dress and underwear littering the floor of Hux’s bedroom. If she thought that she had reached the peak of her shame she was wrong. The redhead followed her line of vision and raised a brow, eyes sparkling and mouth twitching with a subdued smirk. 

“I can have this laundered for you.” his gloved hand gestured down at last night’s discarded garments. 

“That won’t be necessary,” Korina croaked - when had her mouth become so dry? “I can get that done myself, Sir.”

“If you’re worried about your clothing being seen with mine there’s no need. Droids don’t judge.” That made sense. Of course someone like Hux would use housekeeping droids rather than have his undergarments handled by any of the workers in the ship’s laundry. He’d probably rather wash them himself. 

“I’ll leave some plain clothing on the bed,” the General informed her, having taken her silence as an affirmative answer, “It wouldn’t do to have you leaving my quarters in last night’s outfit, would it?” 

The engineer shook her head before retreating into the other room.

* * *

Upon exiting the refresher wrapped in nothing but a fluffy white towel, Korina found a neat bundle of clothing sitting atop a freshly made bed, presumably done by a housekeeping droid while she was busy trying to wash away her embarrassment. On her way into the refresher she had caught sight of her reflection in the mirror and became aware of the little bruises that adorned her neck and collarbone; the proof of last night’s ardent activity. 

The engineer heard the voice of the man who left those marks coming from what she assumed was the living area, having never been in Hux’s quarters before waking up in his bedroom that morning. Hurriedly changing into the standard issue underwear and socks, along with the black lounge pants and grey long-sleeved top she had been provided with, the brunette opted to leave her hair loose for the time being. She wasn’t about to spend her usual five minutes securing her mahogany locks into a neat bun while it was still damp. 

Upon cautiously stepping out of the bedroom door Korina almost jumped at the sudden sound of Hux’s voice coming from the opposite end of the room. 

“Miss Klovell, this is Dr. Verdi,” the General gestured towards the man sitting on one of the grey couches and preparing his utensils, “He’s here to take your samples. He's already taken mine.” 

“Just some blood and a little saliva.” Dr. Verdi smiled reassuringly. He looked to be in his forties and wore the usual tunic donned by medbay personnel. His light brown hair looked to be going grey at the sides and his pale green eyes were partially obscured behind the lenses of wire-framed glasses. 

“I’m er, not great with needles...” the engineer grudgingly admitted. 

“Relax, It’s not my first day on the job! the medic smiled reassuringly as he prepped a syringe, "I’ve done this many times before.”

Korina took a seat across from the doctor and offered her arm when he reached for it, feeling unsettled as he wiped the crook of her elbow with a disinfectant wipe before adjusting his glasses and raising her arm to closely inspect the young woman’s veins. A satisfied smile settled on his face when he had located the one he wanted, propping a small cushion underneath her elbow and turning to retrieve the syringe. 

“General, perhaps you could talk to Miss Klovell?” the doctor suggested, looking to the redhead for assistance in distracting his nervous patient. 

“Of course,” Hux nodded, taking a seat adjacent to Korina, “So, tell me, what led you to become an engineer?” He sounded genuinely interested. 

“It was just something my sister - well, not my biological sister - Miri taught me when I was younger. There’s very little to do on Jakku so I began to spend a lot of time at the shipyard repairing what I could.” she explained, “As luck would have it that’s where I was recruited a little over eight months ago, by the officer whom I now share quarters with.” 

“Ah, yes. That would be Captain Vane,” the General nodded and clasped his hands together, “I believe she and Lieutenant Shif were refueling at the time.” 

“That’s correct, Sir,” Korina screwed up her nose as she felt the cold needle pierce the soft skin at her elbow. “I was very fortunate. I find I love my work here on the Finalizer.” 

“Tell me about your typical working day.” 

The brunette raised a brow towards the redhead, certain he was already well aware of what the daily routine of an engineer was, but humoured him anyway, “Well, first I go straight from my quarters to report to my superior, Officer Gil. He will inform all of us engineers of any important matters like safety procedures and then go over the previous day’s tasks. We’re evaluated individually on things like how long it took to complete a job, or how much equipment was required.” 

“How does life on a star destroyer feel? It’s obviously very different from Jakku.” 

“Well I prefer the temperature aboard the Finalizer,” Korina smiled, “And the two weeks it took me to get rid of my motion sickness was nothing compared to being caught in a rogue sandstorm.” 

The General suddenly changed the subject, “Do you drink caf?" He asked her, "I was going to make some." He didn't wait for answer, already standing and heading for the kitchen. 

“I do, but you really don’t need to go to any more trouble for me.” the engineer replied over her shoulder. 

“All done!” Dr. Verdi announced, blotting away a pinprick of blood at the entry point of the needle and then covering it with a small bandage. “I just need a saliva sample.” He added, passing the young woman a small vial. 

“Am I supposed to just...?” 

“Spit, yes. Up to the red line there.” Dr. Verdi confirmed, beginning to pack up his case. 

It was strangely uncomfortable trying to discreetly spit into a small vial while sitting on General Hux’s couch under the gaze of the doctor while she could hear the redhead moving around nearby as he brewed caf. She handed the now filled vial back to the doctor hastily as Hux re-entered the living area. 

“So, when can we expect results?” he asked the doctor. 

“Forty-eight hours at the earliest,” Dr. Verdi replied as he stood to leave, “But I shall message you both as soon as the results come through.” 

“Thank you, Doctor.” the General offered a curt nod and saw the man to the door. 

“Actually, I should really be going too,” Korina stood from her spot on the couch, “Mina will be worried if I don’t make an appearance soon.” 

Hux didn’t argue, simply nodding before adding, “We’ll talk soon.” 

* * *

“Ah, she finally returns!” Mina announced the moment her roommate entered their quarters. 

“Not so loud, please.” Korina groaned, partly due to her headache and partly due to wanting to avoid drawing the attention of anybody in the hallway outside to the fact that she had stayed out all night following the Gala. Like she and Hux had agreed - say nothing. 

“What’s his name?” the blonde whispered in response to her roommate’s plea for quiet. 

“Whose?” the engineer feigned ignorance. 

“Whoever gave you those clothes you’re wearing,” the Captain replied knowingly. 

Thinking on her feet, Korina lifted her sleeve and displayed the small bandage on the site of her blood draw, “I was in the medbay all night. Look, they had to take bloods,” she huffed and made her way over to the armchair in the corner, “They provided these clothes since it wasn’t exactly ideal to leave the medbay in my Gala outfit. People might talk.” 

“Huh, and they’re trialing new ways of obtaining blood samples too?” 

The engineer frowned confusedly at her now smirking friend, “What?” she shrugged as the blonde broke into a chuckle. 

“I just figured that might explain your lovely new necklace.” 

Korina looked down and groaned, having completely forgotten about the marks Hux had given her during their bedroom activities; marks that were now more obvious than they had been when she had originally noticed them earlier. Damn! There was no way to disguise it now, although a part of her felt a jolt of pride at displaying the mess that the General had made of her neck, shoulders, and collarbone. One of the few things she actually did recall about last night was how good it had felt when the man was leaving those marks...

His mouth. His mouth was magic. She wanted to feel it again, but she knew that there would not be a repeat performance, not when last night’s was never supposed to happen in the first place. Hux had only taken her to his bed because he was under the influence and would probably never look twice at her if the situation were different. 

“Hello? Korina!” 

The brunette suddenly snapped back to her senses as her roommate’s voice interrupted her thoughts, “Yeah, sorry Mina.” 

“Well?” the Captain raised a brow, “Who’s the mystery lover?” 

“If I could tell you I would, honestly,” Korina admitted, “But it’s not gonna happen again. Can we just forget it?” 

One of her favourite things about being friends with Mina was the woman’s powers of perception, and that meant, as much as she loved to joke and tease she also knew when to leave well alone. This was such an occasion. With a warm smile and a nod she stood and embraced the taller woman, “You don’t have to tell me anything,” she murmured, wary of her roommate’s sensitivity to noise, “But you know I’m always here for you when you need to talk.” 

“I know, thanks Mina.” the brunette replied. 

Debating whether to get something to eat or just climb into bed and sleep until her next shift, Korina hadn’t noticed her roommate digging around in the bedside table and retrieving a polka dotted drawstring bag, emptying out the contents - which turned out to be makeup - onto her bed. 

“Would you say you’re more ‘Dantooine Dawn’ or ‘Corellian Peach’?” The brunette looked over her shoulder to see the Captain holding up two small bottles, “Because if you don’t want people to talk we’re gonna need to cover up those marks on your neck!”   


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	6. Mixed Reactions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not really satisfied with this chapter but I wanted to get it posted.   
> It's a short chapter - kind of just getting an idea of where everyone's at before the next chapter. 
> 
> Speaking of the next chapter, I'm working on it tonight so hopefully I'll be updating before the weekend.

Korina awoke the following morning feeling somehow more exhausted than she was before she fell asleep. She had always been an early riser, usually awake and out of bed before her roommate, but today Mina had nudged her out of bed and coaxed her into drinking a large mug of hot caf, 

“You okay?” the blonde woman asked, abandoning her breakfast in order to check Korina’s forehead for a temperature, “We can drop by the medbay.” 

“No!” the engineer replied rather quickly, She wanted to avoid running into Dr. Verdi for now. While he was bound by patient confidentiality, and even if he wasn’t would avoid doing anything to incur the General’s wrath, he must have his own opinions on the situation he encountered yesterday. Did he believe that she were somehow involved; that she had orchestrated the whole thing to seduce Hux? Did the doctor misinterpret her aversion to needles, putting her unease down to the fear of being caught out? 

“I’m fine,” she told her roommate, “I just haven’t had much sleep.” 

“Wow,” Mina fought a grin, “Your mystery man must have been _really_ good if he’s gotten you that worn out!” 

Korina sent the blonde a look of annoyance before draining the remainder of the now lukewarm caf from her mug, “I’m not going to dignify that with an answer.” 

Mina was well aware that something was amiss with the engineer, and she got the sense that it wasn’t as straightforward as an awkward one night stand. She watched the brunette disappear into the refresher before resuming her breakfast. _‘Oh well,’_ thought the Captain, _‘She’ll come to me when she’s ready to talk about it.’_

Korina did a double take as she caught a glimpse her reflection in the mirror. The woman staring back at her looked as rough as she felt; her usually sparkling brown eyes were dull and lifeless, accompanied by visible dark circles underneath them, while her sleek mahogany locks now resembled something more like a Porg’s nest. 

She let her gaze fall to the bruises that adorned the skin of her neck, shoulders, and collarbone, courtesy of Hux. Thankfully her uniform covered most of the damage done by the redhead and his magic mouth, and she would only need to apply a little bit of makeup to disguise the couple of marks just below her ear. 

_‘Pull it together,’_ she told herself as she ran a finger over the marks, _‘Act like nothing happened.’_

It was going to be a long day... 

* * *

Lieutenant Stobek was feeling very pleased with herself. She’d been too caught up in the excitement of the Gala to monitor the engineer’s behaviour following the _slight_ modification of her drink. She had however, overheard two stormtroopers in the canteen at breakfast, exchanging gossip about several crew members that had allegedly hooked up following the event. 

Jynna’s ears had pricked up when Klovell’s name was mentioned. 

According to the troopers’ hushed conversation, the engineer had been spotted the following morning, looking worse for wear - sporting standard issue First Order clothing while carrying her heels - and doing her best to remain unnoticed as she left the main hallway that led to the private quarters of higher ranking crew members. 

If Korina had indeed bedded one of her superiors then that was an even better result than Stobek was hoping for. 

The Lieutenant had expected some inappropriate behaviour at the Gala, perhaps climbing on tables or throwing up on one of the First Order’s important guests. If that failed she was betting on the desert whore hooking up with a drunken crew member with low standards, especially one of the cocky young stormtroopers who would give a detailed account of his sexual exploits to the other young men sharing his barracks, inevitably spreading through the entire ship. 

But sleeping with one of the higher ups? Jackpot! 

With any luck the unfortunate fool - whoever that was - would be ordering Klovell’s removal from the Finalizer, and preferably the First Order too, any day now. Even if she didn’t get demoted - although in Jynna’s opinion being an engineer was a low enough position to begin with - then the woman would surely be so embarrassed by the whole thing that she would leave of her own accord. 

It was only a matter of time. Now all that Lieutenant Stobek could do was wait. 

* * *

General Armitage Hux was not a man who enjoyed being unprepared. 

The majority of his life had been spent planning and plotting, and everything was carefully analyzed, criticized, and scrutinized. Risks were always assessed and backup plans sat in place if required. He was constantly prepared for any eventuality - until now. 

Yesterday’s awakening had brought with it several thoughts and emotions. He was angry, but not at Korina. He hadn’t reached the rank of General without developing his analytical skills in a way that meant he was quick to detect dishonesty in others. He was satisfied early on that the engineer was being truthful as to the events surrounding their encounter. 

Armitage _was_ angry that a member of his own crew would put their own petty need for revenge over focusing on the continued hard work that was going to propel the First Order to the top, realizing his vision of galactic domination. 

He was angry that his privacy had been invaded too. It was no secret that the General was a man who kept to himself on his own time, becoming an enigma to the crew the moment he stepped into his quarters and allowed the stoic mask to fall away. On the bridge he was the fearsome General Hux, the man who commanded the Finalizer, but inside the sanctuary of his own quarters he was just Armitage. 

And it wasn’t just his quarters that had been subject to a breach of privacy, but his bed too. 

Hux was used to pulling an all-nighter getting through the work that piled on the desk in his office, and for that reason whenever he did get the opportunity to sleep in his own bed it was something to savour. His bed, when in use, had only ever been used for sleeping, but he was by no means inexperienced when it came to sex. His time at the Academy had taught him more than just his military training, even if such encounters stemmed from girls believing that he could grant them certain privileges as the son of Brendol Hux. 

Nowadays he was so preoccupied with work that when the mood did take him he found his own hand was sufficient. 

Waking up beside another person had unearthed some feelings that had long remained buried, pushed away in fear and doubt. He had never entertained the idea of sharing his life with another person, not through fear of commitment or having no need of company, but by the insecurities that had been ingrained in him from childhood. The taunts and offhand comments by his father, stepmother, and their friends often echoed in his head whenever he found himself yearning for companionship. 

He was weak, they would tell him. He was too skinny, too unattractive, too disappointing to ever be appealing to anybody. Every time he was reminded that he was a bastard son - which was frequently - it was usually followed up with a comment about never being wanted, and of the shame a woman would feel by wearing his ring or carrying his child. 

His physical appearance bothered him more than he let on, and even though he had adopted a nonchalance in the presence of anyone who saw him in a state of undress, the fact that Korina had seen - and touched - his slim and scarred body made him very uncomfortable. But worryingly it also felt good. Not just the sex, although what he could recall was enjoyable, but just to sit in bed and converse with a partner. It felt natural, it felt right. 

He needed to shake those thoughts from his mind, he thought, before readying the mask of aloofness for his shift on the bridge. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I really appreciate it. :)


	7. Side Effects

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who's been reading. It's much appreciated. 
> 
> Hopefully this chapter doesn't disappoint.  
> Just a quick note: I made up the orcasite plant for the purposes of the story.

It was almost two weeks before Korina saw the General again. 

Two days after the samples were taken Dr. Verdi had messaged them both separately to report that the initial test results had came back inconclusive, meaning that whatever drug was used to spike their drink was not one logged on the medbay database, and as a result he’d require more samples - subjecting the woman to more needles - and more time to run a wider search. The doctor was not sure how long that would be exactly, but he had given his assurance that he would inform them both as soon as he knew more. 

It was almost lunchtime, and once again Korina found herself mending a console which had, unfortunately, had a run in with Ren’s lightsaber. The outer panel was beyond the point of repair and would need to be replaced, but the majority of the actual wiring - by some miracle - wasn’t too badly damaged, and cleaning up and replacing some of the wires was all that was needed for now. 

After patching up as much of the damage as she could, the engineer gathered her tools and placed them back in their box before taking her datapad and marking the work as ‘in progress’ for now, noting the extent of the damage and submitting a request for the materials needed in order to complete the repair. She was so busy concentrating on making sure the measurements for the replacement panel were correct that she was only vaguely aware of footsteps approaching. 

Tapping the ‘send’ button and submitting the report to her boss, the engineer looked up from her datapad, planning on offering a quick greeting and perhaps exchanging pleasantries with one of the officers that often passed through these corridors, something she usually did. But now, when she looked up in the direction of the footsteps, she lost her ability to speak upon seeing the figure approaching her. 

_The dark attire, the perfect posture, the copper locks; General Hux._

The redhead was an expert when it came to schooling his features into a blank expression, but there was still a split second of surprise as they locked eyes, with the man coming to a stop beside the engineer. 

Korina was transfixed by those blue orbs. She couldn’t help but be reminded of the way they’d looked as he loomed over her that night in his bed; dark like sapphires, a deep pool of hunger and lust - _lust for he_ r, even if it was drug induced. The memory of that night caused her face to flush and she desperately attempted to turn her mind to something else, anything but the man in front of her. 

“General.” she nodded an awkward greeting. 

“Miss Klovell,” the redhead replied, shifting his gaze to the console the engineer had just been working on, “I see Ren has been giving you more work.” 

“No more than usual, Sir.” 

Hux glanced up and down the hallway, subtly checking for company before speaking, “We’ve yet to have the opportunity to talk.” She knew there was no need to question what he wanted to talk about. 

She shrugged, “You’re a busy man, General.” 

“There are some things I can make time for, if it’s important to me.” he held her gaze for a moment before taking a step back and putting some distance between them, “Anyway,” he cleared his throat, “I should be getting back to the bridge. I’m sure you also have things to be getting on with, so I won’t delay you any longer.” 

“Of course, General.” Korina replied, the slightest hint of a smile crossing her features. 

With a curt nod he promptly turned and continued on his way down the corridor, the tails of his greatcoat following with a swooshing motion. 

* * *

Another week passed in a blur. Much to her annoyance the engineer had ended up repairing the same piece of equipment twice within the space of three days, thanks of course to the saber-wielding Commander Ren. No wonder the General was always so frustrated with the man, and that Lieutenant Mitaka was a nervous wreck. Captain Phasma seemed to take it in her stride, although who knew which emotion was displayed underneath that chrome helmet. 

Korina glanced down at her datapad and checked the time. It had been several hours since breakfast but the idea of eating lunch was suddenly making her nauseous. _‘Perhaps I’m coming down with something,’_ she thought before yawning, _‘I have been feeling fatigued these last couple of days.’_

The engineer packed up her tools before heading to the nearest elevator. It was a relief to find the elevator empty, probably because most of the crew would have already headed to the canteen for lunch. Once she had reached the correct floor she stepped out and continued on her way to the engineering department, replacing her toolbox in its designated spot on the shelves before heading over to Officer Gil’s workstation. The man was busy tapping some data into the main computer as the woman approached. 

“Sir?” 

“Yes, Klovell - everything okay?” he asked. 

“I’m not feeling very well, Sir.” Korina admitted. 

Officer Gil turned his attention away from the computer screen and swiveled his chair around to face the brunette, “You don’t look so good either,” he frowned - his eyes were full of genuine concern, “You can take the rest of the day off but please, call in at the medbay on the way back to your quarters.” 

“I will, Sir,” she nodded, “See you tomorrow.” 

“Take care, Klovell,” he returned a nod in acknowledgement, “Try and get some rest,” he added, turning his attention back to his work before calling after her as she reached the door, “I’ve always found grassroot stew comforting when I’m unwell.” 

The engineer smiled in response, even though the idea of eating anything right now made her want to spew into the nearest garbage chute. Still, he meant well. 

Hearing the chime of her datapad the young woman reached down to retrieve the device from her pocket. She was curious, knowing that she’d just spoken with Officer Gil thus eliminating the possibility that the message was details of her next repair. Opening up the notification she saw that the sender was listed as the Finalizer medbay. It was a brief message: 

_Miss Klovell, please report to see Dr. Verdi at your earliest convenience. Thank you._

She was suddenly concerned, it was almost certainly about the mystery drug used by Stobek. Was it dangerous - was that why she felt unwell? Had Stobek intended to kill her? But the General had looked fine when they’d spoken last week, and surely he’d have symptoms too? 

The engineer tried to keep a lid on her anxiety as she rode the elevator. She was headed to the medbay anyway so she might as well get it over with. 

* * *

Apparently the usual receptionists were away for lunch, seeing as the only presence at the front desk was a droid, who registered the brunette’s arrival the moment she stepped through the double doors, mechanisms whirring as they looked up from their work and stared at the engineer, “Hello. How can I help you today?” 

“Korina Klovell, I’m here to see Dr. Verdi.” 

The droid behind the reception desk beeped in response, “Affirmative. Please proceed to room 9E.” 

Korina made her way down the corridor to her left. At the end of it were three sets of doors, leading to the examination rooms, pharmaceutical services, and surgery suites respectively. She took the door marked for the examination rooms and wandered down another corridor until she found the correct room, knocking lightly before hearing Dr. Verdi’s voice inviting her to enter. 

The engineer was a little confused to find General Hux already seated across from the doctor. Had she known that she was keeping both men waiting she would have walked a little faster on her journey to the medbay. Not wanting to waste anymore time she seated herself on the only free chair, next to the General, whose face was a mask of indifference. Did he feel as concerned as she was? He didn’t even look annoyed by the waiting. 

“Thank you both for being here,” Dr. Verdi began, resting his clasped hands on the desk in front of him, “I’m sure you have an idea of why you’re here so I’ll just begin.” 

“After thorough investigation and analysis I have identified the substance used to drug you both. It was orcasite root. It’s a plant native to most forest planets and for several decades it has been brewed into home remedies designed to treat everything from insomnia to hiccups.” 

“Well that’s something to investigate,” the General made a note on his datapad, “I’ll check whether Lieutenant Stobek has ties to any forest planets,” he added, glancing at the engineer. 

“So, why would it be used to drug me?” the brunette asked Dr. Verdi, “Is it dangerous?” 

“Not dangerous as such, since it does seem to work for certain ailments, but its use has never been deemed safe because of its side effects. The plant itself, as well as once brewed, has been found to interfere with a number of other drugs,” he explained before pausing, “Which brings me to the reason I asked you both here...” 

Korina and Hux exchanged a glance. 

“I’m not sure I understand what you’re trying to say,” the engineer’s brow furrowed in confusion as she turned to face the doctor, “Was there something else - another drug used in addition to the orcasite root?” 

Dr. Verdi cleared his throat, “No, there was no second drug...” 

“Well?” the General inquired impatiently. He could tell that whatever the other man had to say was making him anxious. 

Discomfort was now clear on the doctor’s face, “Since the drug wasn’t listed on our database I decided to investigate further. During the course of my research I discovered some of the medications that have been proven to react to it...” 

“Wait, I’m not on medication,” Korina frowned. 

“Nor am I.” Hux raised a brow towards the doctor. 

“It turns out that orcasite root is so potent that it can end up cancelling out the effects of certain medications...” Dr. Verdi paused, “...including contraceptives. And seeing as you’re both taking precautions-” 

“Doctor, please get to the point.” Hux tensed. 

The room was full of tension, 

“When you were drugged the effects of the orcasite root caused Korina’s contraceptive implant to become defective,” the doctor explained, “So I went back to the second set of blood results and noticed something that I hadn’t been looking for at the time...” his gaze switched from Hux to Korina and back again, “Miss Klovell, you’re around three weeks pregnant.” 

Korina fainted. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> What will happen next?


	8. Second Guessing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was kind of hard to write with the different emotions and thoughts.  
> Obviously there's a lot of speculation and no actual discussion so wires are going to get crossed. 
> 
> Thank you to everyone that's been reading the story. :)

General Hux was no stranger to the feeling but he was incredibly tense, shoulders heavy with the weight of the information he had become privy to just minutes ago - life-altering news that he struggled to process. _‘You’re a coward, Armitage,’_ he told himself as he paced the bridge of the Finalizer. He had panicked upon hearing Dr. Verdi delivering news of Korina’s condition, more so when the young woman had passed out, slumping sideways into his lap while the redhead froze at the sudden contact. 

Conflict raged within him as he replayed the doctor’s words over and over again. 

He should be with Korina right now - his conscience told him - but he had fled, paralyzed by an overwhelming surge of differing emotions - feelings so deeply buried that his capability to experience them at all was surprising. The General was afraid; of change, of judgement, of confronting his own weaknesses. He felt lost and frustrated at the lack of any control over the situation. If he didn’t have a plan before then he really didn’t have one now! 

He was ill-prepared for any social interaction that didn’t require him yelling orders, much less an intimate relationship, and he didn’t need any additional social skills to know that he and Korina were past the point of being individuals who happened to live and work on the same ship. What did that make them now? They weren’t friends or acquaintances, nor were they lovers, assuming that one hazy night of passionate sex didn’t count since it was a one time thing. 

It seemed so impersonal to refer to the engineer as simply ‘mother of his child’ - even to a man like Hux, who had spent almost his entire life keeping others at arm’s length. Everything he knew about the woman he had inadvertently impregnated was detailed in a couple of paragraphs on her First Order crew record. 

Would she even want to keep the...? He couldn’t bring himself to say ‘baby’ because that felt too real, too intimate. Armitage Hux was a logical man, and whatever currently resided in Korina’s womb was just a bundle of cells, not human - yet. At least that’s what he told himself. 

And if she opted to proceed with the pregnancy - would she acknowledge him as the father? He could see the appeal of keeping it under wraps, after all, Hux wasn’t a well-liked man. But what if the child inherited his Arkanisian features? Paternity would be questioned anyway, and it wouldn’t take a genius to spot the link between the infant’s red hair, pale skin, and pointed features and those shared by the General. 

“General Hux, Sir...” Lieutenant Mitaka approached the redhead. 

“What is it, Mitaka?” Hux snapped, although part of him welcomed the distraction. 

“There’s an unexpected issue with the TIE squadron in hangar B.” the nervous Lieutenant replied. 

The General was heading away from the bridge in an instant. Mitaka scurried after him, face flushed at the effort of keeping up with the redhead’s long strides. It was obvious that somebody was about to be yelled at. 

_‘At least I know how to do that.’_ thought Hux. 

* * *

Brown eyes fluttered open briefly before screwing shut again under the glaringly bright ceiling lights. 

The lights, accompanied by the faint scent of bacta and the squeaky sound of foot traffic in the hallway led Korina to realize that she was still in the medbay. Anxiety swirled in the pit of her stomach as she recalled the events that led to her blackout. Every fiber of her being instinctively knew that the doctor’s words were truthful, but she needed to hear him say it again - just to be absolutely sure. 

“Ah, you’re awake,” a nurse appeared from somewhere out of the engineer’s line of sight, “Welcome back, dear,” the older woman offered a sympathetic smile, “I understand you’ve had a bit of a shock.” 

“You could say that,” the engineer croaked as she attempted to sit up, “Where’s Dr. Verdi?” 

The nurse picked up a jug of water and poured a little into a small cup before handing it to the younger woman, “He’s in his office, dear. He should be back shortly.” 

“Oh,” Korina replied, managing to spill some of the water down her chin, “Have I been out for long?” 

“A few minutes, dear. My instructions were to make sure you stayed in bed and that you didn’t try to stand up for at least twenty minutes.” the nurse explained, patting the brunette’s shoulder reassuringly. 

That was simple enough, Korina decided, yawning and lowering herself back onto the pillows. 

As the engineer settled down into the surprisingly soft bedding, the nurse - whose name tag read ‘Faun’ - hummed softly as she busied herself with tidying up supplies and folding some spare bedding. Korina didn’t mind, it was soothing and she felt ready to fall asleep, but the approaching sound of footsteps and murmuring voices had the engineer shifting her gaze to the door, which opened seconds later. 

Dr. Verdi had returned - but he was alone. 

“Miss Klovell, good to see you awake.” the doctor smiled and placed down the file he was holding, “I’m afraid the General had to leave to take care of something on the bridge.” 

Something about the way the doctor spoke had her sensing that was a lie, or at least a partial truth. 

Korina licked her dry lips and looked up at the doctor, “Are...are you sure...about me...“ she couldn’t bring herself to say the word ‘pregnant’ so she instead motioned towards her flat stomach area. 

“Yes, it’s true, you are pregnant.” he spoke softly as he sat down on the edge of the bed. 

“Is that why I’ve felt so tired and sick at the thought of food these past couple of days?” 

“Most likely,” Dr. Verdi nodded, “Contrary to what some people think pregnancy symptoms can appear as early as two weeks after conception,” he explained, “Usually tiredness and nausea are the first indicators, but they can easily go unnoticed until the mother has missed a period.”

“What do I do now?” she asked nobody in particular. 

“Well, there are options available,” he reached for the folder he’d come in with and opened it up, “Should you wish to terminate the pregnancy...” the doctor trailed off as Korina shook her head. 

“I couldn’t do it,” she whispered, tears gathering along her lashes, “My conscience would never allow it.” 

Dr. Verdi placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, “That’s okay, I just wanted you to know that you have options. There’s still plenty of time to think about it,” he added, “It’s going to take some time for all of this to fully sink in.” 

The engineer had to agree with that last statement. 

* * *

As soon as she was deemed fit to leave the medbay Korina headed towards her quarters. 

She had decided not to reveal anything to Mina yet, wanting to keep the news to herself while she adjusted to the situation. Plus, she suspected that Hux would wish for it to remain a secret. She knew that much at least. He hadn’t returned to the medbay in the time she was there. 

The engineer had yet to decide how she felt about his absence. Part of her was grateful for it, giving her time and space to digest the bombshell news while also sparing her the embarrassment over her dramatically collapsing into his lap - as nurse Faun had informed her earlier on. It was odd that Korina felt more embarrassed about falling into his lap fully clothed than she had when laying naked beside him in his bed. 

As relieved as she was to avoid seeing the General, Korina couldn’t help but feel a pang of disappointment when he didn’t return to the medbay. Part of her wanted him to be there, to comfort and reassure her, to tell her that it would all be okay. But that seemed unlikely - she couldn’t imagine Hux comforting anybody. 

She definitely couldn’t imagine him as a father. That seemed to go against everything she knew about the General. The man liked planning and routine - and babies did not have a preset routine, as she had witnessed when Zeelia had first given birth to Maxir, which meant that things like sleep were disrupted, as were mealtimes and even the most mundane of tasks. An infant did not care. 

One of the most striking things about Hux was the attention paid to his appearance. He would be horrified by tiny hands tugging at his perfectly styled hair, let alone the damage that would befall his pristine uniform while burping the baby or changing a diaper. Not to mention what would become of his quarters - which from the parts Korina had seen was immaculate. It was unthinkable. 

No wonder he hadn’t been back to see her. No doubt he was trying to decide how to tell her that he did not want a child, which he would follow by attempting to persuade her to terminate the pregnancy. He was the General of the First Order. How could he ever entertain the idea of having a child with someone like Korina - an orphan engineer from Jakku? 

“You look like shit, Klovell.” 

Korina knew that voice, she’d had almost nine months to get used to hearing it. 

“Lieutenant Stobek, I’m sure I can be forgiven for my appearance given that I’ve just left the medbay,” she addressed the smug officer standing a few yards ahead of her, “Nobody tends to look good when they’re unwell.” 

“Oh dear, is the little desert whore feeling under the weather?” Stobek pouted. 

“I am in no mood for your petty taunts, Lieutenant.” the engineer replied calmly. 

“That’s a shame,” the woman tilted her head to the side, “Besides, my ‘petty’ comment was rather factual.” Jynna was waiting for Korina to bite, and the engineer knew it. 

There was no way she was going to reveal any knowledge of she and Hux being drugged - nor anything that happened after that - but something told her that Stobek was fishing for details. The Lieutenant only knew that she had drugged Korina’s drink, so the engineer played along a little to see what she thought she knew. “And what part was factual, exactly?” 

“Poor Klovell, I know you’re not educated so I’ll break it down for your little brain to understand,” Jynna smirked before continuing, “You are from the desert - Jakku. You’ve told me yourself that you’re feeling under the weather. And finally, you’re a whore.” 

“Really? I don’t know where you’re getting your facts but that last one is untrue.” 

“Is it really? That’s not what I heard...” the Lieutenant feigned surprise, “In fact, I’m almost impressed that you managed to whore yourself so far up the ranks.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Korina raised a brow, doing her best to remain untroubled by that last comment. Surely if Jynna did know about Hux then the whole ship would know by now? If she was so desperate to get the engineer off the ship then why wait weeks to say anything? 

“Let’s just say you weren’t as discreet as you think when you were doing your _‘walk of shame’_ the morning after the Officer’s Gala.” 

“What makes you assume that something happened?” Korina shrugged, not expecting a confession from Stobek but quietly curious whether the Lieutenant would somehow trip herself up with a minor detail. 

“Oh, Klovell,” Jynna shook her head, “When an off duty engineer is seen sneaking out of the door to the master suites she’s not been repairing anything, and she’s sure as heck not been having a friendly game of chess.” The woman grinned before turning and walking in the opposite direction. 

Korina really needed to sleep, pregnant or not. There had simply been too much information for one day. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! :) 
> 
> Yep, Stobek had to make an appearance here.
> 
> Next chapter should be interesting!


	9. No Need For Apologies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a love/hate relationship with this chapter.  
> It was so difficult to get into the flow of writing it but I actually like how it turned out. 
> 
> I'm looking forward to writing developments in the next couple of chapters... ;) 
> 
> As always, thank you so much for reading.

_‘You can’t keep avoiding her, Armitage.’_

The voice in Hux’s head was right; he needed to reach out to Korina and apologize for abandoning her earlier that day. He had tried - _really tried_ \- to work up the courage to return to the medbay after his shift on the bridge was over, but not having any prior experience of pregnancy and parenthood had left him drowning in a sea of panic. He had no plan - and to make matters worse - he didn’t have the slightest idea of how to formulate one for this particular situation. 

The news of his impending fatherhood had sent every carefully plotted detail of his life into a tailspin, leaving him afraid and desperately clinging to any semblance of familiarity that he could find, which meant hastily returning to his quarters and busying himself with anything that would distract from his current predicament. 

Much to the General’s frustration it had been the first day in weeks on which he had not been bombarded with messages the moment he turned on his datapad. Even answering the handful of reminders and requests at a leisurely pace had taken less than an hour, leaving the redhead to occupy himself with mundane tasks in order to ignore the storm of emotions brewing within. 

Hux could count the times he’d used the kitchen in his quarters on one hand - not because he could not cook, in fact he was quite skilled in culinary pursuits - but because he was a busy man and at the end of a long day it was much more convenient to have a droid deliver something from the canteen. 

But that night - in the interest of prolonging the inevitable contact with Korina - he had cancelled his usual droid delivery in favor of the far more time-consuming task of cooking his own dinner. The offerings in his refrigerator were sparse, but with the help of some skills he acquired during his military training he had managed to improvise, substituting a couple of ingredients not at his disposal to throw together a healthy meal. 

Much too soon his stomach was full and the dishes were clean. Hux’s pale body was flushed pink after a hot shower, dressed in freshly laundered sleep clothes, and tucked into his bed. 

What followed was hours of tossing and turning; sleep evading him as his brain stubbornly refused to shut down and offer some respite from the constant stream of thoughts running through his mind. 

It was either very late or very early - he wasn’t sure at that point - when the redhead rolled over and grabbed his datapad from the beside table, opening up a blank template and beginning to type out a message to the engineer. He spent almost another hour before he was satisfied that he had expressed himself in a manner which would not come across as unfriendly or demanding. 

Finally pressing ‘send’ on the brief message, the General was able to make another attempt at sleeping, finally succeeding in getting a couple of hours before his alarm sounded. 

Two things were clear; one being that the redhead would be drinking a lot of caf that day, and the other being that anybody unfortunate enough to work on the bridge with an already irritated Hux would be wise not to displease him. 

* * *

Korina had woken early as usual. 

She would normally be out of bed and brewing some caf by now. Instead she was still sitting on her bed hugging her pillow to her middle, trying to summon the energy to make her way to the refresher, sensing from her nausea that she was almost certain to throw up. Morning sickness was already kicking in. 

That was going to make her pregnancy a lot harder to conceal from others. _‘Act like nothing happened,’_ she reminded herself of Hux’s words that first morning. That thought prompted her to slide out of bed and make her way across the room with slow steps - hoping that limiting her movements would prevent her from expelling whatever was left in her sensitive stomach - and put on a fresh pot of caf. 

That was normal behavior for the engineer, and not doing so was sure to arouse the suspicions of her already perceptive roommate. Another issue with Korina’s illusion of normality was the fact that she herself usually drank two cups of caf before work, and now that she was pregnant that was not something she could do. She would have to consult with Dr. Verdi of course, but she was fairly certain that more than one cup of caf would be unwise in her condition. 

Mina wasn’t out of bed yet so the engineer deliberately poured herself a cup that was only a quarter full, giving the illusion that she had already drunk the other three quarters of caf, hoping that she could do the same with her second cup when her roommate was distracted by her preparations for her shift. 

In the meantime, Korina lazily reached for her datapad and noticed the light blinking to signal a new message. Curious to know who would contact her so early the engineer unlocked the device and eyed the notification, feeling both anxious and relieved to see the sender listed as General Hux. 

**Korina -**

**Allow me to offer you my sincerest apologies that I was unable to return to the medbay following our meeting with Dr. Verdi. You and I have both had a rather big shock with the doctor’s news. Obviously we have a lot to discuss and I think it would be beneficial for us to meet soon in order to discuss our plans going forward. If you are in agreement please do not hesitate to contact me. - Hux**

Korina read the message over and over until she heard Mina stirring from her slumber, trying to decipher any hidden meanings and spotting any hint of what he was feeling about the whole situation. 

He had addressed her by her first name. Had he done it on purpose, perhaps to separate personal communication from work? 

She wasn’t naive - she was well aware that the General was known for his intelligence and ability to strategize large military operations - the man commanded a star destroyer! The idea that Hux could be using his powers of persuasion and manipulation to lull her into a false sense of security had been at the back of her mind since she'd awoken in the medbay the previous day. 

Was he attempting to come across as reasonable and supportive until he could comfortably persuade her that terminating the pregnancy was the best option?

Korina already doubted his desire and ability to raise a child. If he had ever considered the idea it was probably part of some greater plan - of a politically beneficial marriage and a son and heir to continue the Hux name and military legacy. What if the General did wed at some point? She doubted that a princess or senator would be okay with the fact that their stepchild was born of a drug induced one-night-stand with a lowly engineer. 

Mina - now awake and out of bed - shuffled across the room and poured herself a cup of caf. The blonde woman took a few sips before turning to her roommate, “You started without me,” she nodded towards the small amount of caf in the brunette’s cup, “I take it you’re feeling better?” 

The engineer frowned as she took a tiny sip from her own cup of caf, “Sorry?” 

“You left work early yesterday,” the Captain reminded her friend, “Gil mentioned that you were unwell so he sent you to the medbay.” 

“Oh, yeah. I’m much better than I was yesterday.” Korina smiled and cradled her cup in both hands, _‘Well it’s not a total lie,’_ she told herself, _‘It’s just that now I know I’m not ill as such,’_ she took another sip of caf. 

‘I need a shower.” Mina announced, placing down her cup and heading to the refresher. 

The engineer watched as the blonde disappeared into the room and closed the door, reaching for her datapad the moment she heard the sound of the shower running. Unlocking the device once more she tapped ‘reply’ on Hux’s message. 

* * *

General Hux paced the bridge barking orders at his subordinates, throwing task after task their way in his usual abrupt fashion, hiding his anxiety behind the harsh persona deserving of his rank. The orders that he gave were genuine, although a few minor checks of weaponry and radar technology were added for the purpose of keeping his mind occupied on anything except a certain engineer and the result of their recent copulation that currently resided in her womb. 

Hux resisted the urge to check his datapad too often. 

It was somewhat of a new experience to find himself waiting like this. He was used to being the one making the decisions and handing out orders, but now he awaited the decision of another person - _the mother of his child_ \- and he had no idea how his message had been received. Would she accept his apology for his disappearance from the medbay and subsequently failing to return? 

He had suggested meeting to discuss things but perhaps that was too presumptuous of him. 

As he had made his way to the bridge that morning, the General had made a promise to himself - that if he still hadn’t received a reply from Korina by the time his shift ended, then his first port of call upon leaving his position was to be her quarters. He would not hesitate. He had even made a point of checking the schedule of Captain Vane - Korina’s roommate - in order to ensure that they would have some privacy for the conversation they needed to have. 

Luckily for the redhead, he didn’t have to wait for much longer, hearing the familiar chime of his datapad. His gloved hands swiped at the screen of the device, unlocking it with ease before scanning the message notification for the sender. An unusual sense of anticipation filled Hux’s chest as he tapped the screen in order to display the engineer’s message. 

**Hux - Thank you for your message. I understand that you are a busy man. There’s no need to apologize for not returning to the medbay yesterday. Besides, I wasn’t there for too long. If anything I feel I should apologize for passing out on you! I’m definitely in agreement that we should meet and talk. I’ll leave the time and location up to you. - Korina**

A sense of relief flooded through the General at the engineer’s words. Her message was polite and lighthearted - she definitely didn’t come across as angry or disappointed - and all that he had to do now was arrange their meeting. Feeling emboldened by her positive reply and the promise he had made to himself earlier, Hux decided to stick with his original plan. 

He tapped out his reply and hit the ‘send’ button. 

**Korina - Thank you for your reply. No need to apologize for fainting - you had gotten a big shock and I happened to be there. I imagine my greatcoat made for a softer landing than the medbay floor! If it’s not too much trouble I could come to your quarters once I finish my shift at 20:00 hours? I assume we’d have privacy since Captain Vane is on duty. If not we can arrange something else. - Hux**

In a complete turnaround from minutes earlier, Hux now found himself wanting time to speed up rather than slow down. Was he actually looking forward to seeing Korina? _‘No,’_ he reminded himself, _‘don’t get attached.’_ recalling the cruel things he had heard from his father and the others. 

The General shook all thoughts from his mind and resumed his pacing of the bridge. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! :)
> 
> Who do you think will be the first person to figure out that Korina's pregnant?


	10. Out of Character

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally got this chapter done! I was delayed by laptop trouble and lack of inspiration, as well as lack of sleep. All good for now though, and I'm gonna try and get the next couple of chapters up very soon. Thanks for sticking with me! 
> 
> Trigger warning for this chapter: mentions of abortion/termination

With her work done for the day Korina had returned just as her roommate was leaving their shared quarters. Mina was off to begin her night shift which now left the engineer alone with her thoughts. After managing to ingest some rather tasteless crackers, which were one of the few things her suddenly sensitive stomach could handle, the woman had found herself tidying none-existent mess in an attempt to distract her from counting down the minutes until Hux’s arrival. 

The General’s response had surprised Korina. She had assumed that the man - who was used to giving orders and setting rules - would be expecting everything on his terms, but the wording of his message had seemed relaxed and open to compromise. He had even remarked humorously about the fainting incident. 

The engineer was still unable to let her guard down when it came to the redhead whose unborn child she now carried. The fact that he had suggested meeting in her quarters and not his own was something that left Korina a little confused, and she was having trouble deciding if she were relieved not to be returning to Hux’s quarters - a place she hadn’t set foot in since the morning after the night of passion that had gotten her pregnant - or the complete opposite. 

Was the General being mindful of her comfort or his reputation? 

It was entirely possible that his suggestion had been meant to reassure her; his assumption being that she would be more at ease in her own surroundings, and as a result would be less hesitant to share her opinion with him. But part of Korina was mindful of the possible implication - that he was doing so in an attempt to deliberately keep her away - and for reasons she couldn’t quite fathom, that bothered her. 

* * *

General Hux made his final checks before leaving his position on the bridge of the Finalizer. 

It was a good walk from there to the engineer’s quarters, even at Hux’s brisk pace, but when you were in command of an entire star destroyer you had to be familiar with the vessel. The General knew the layout of every deck by heart - shortcuts included - which was why he opted to take the elevator down four levels before passing through hangar G and walking down a series of corridors that led behind the canteen and past various storage rooms before reaching the residential area that housed his destination. 

As he had anticipated from some earlier research, the area was only occupied by a couple of cleaning droids, one of which weaved around his legs as he reached the door he was looking for. Straightening out his uniform and adjusting his gloves, the General knocked twice on the door and waited. He heard the faint shuffle of footsteps followed by the sound of a code being keyed in on the opposite side of the door, finally being greeted by the sight of the pregnant woman as the door opened with a smooth sliding motion. 

Those particular doors were usually stiff and squeaked a little, but it was a reasonable assumption that the engineer had mended that issue using her skills. Korina seemed to anticipate his comment, “I adjusted the runners and oiled the hinges,” she shrugged, “The squeaking was driving me crazy.” 

“Perhaps I should call upon your skills should I require a new door for my office,” Hux remarked, “You can imagine the noise it makes with the amount of crew members going to and fro.” 

“Well unfortunately I can’t restrict the amount of people passing through you office,” the brunette thought she saw Hux roll his eyes, “But should you wish to rectify the noise problem I would be happy to take a look.” 

“That’s a tempting offer, Miss Klovell,” the General’s blue eyes glinted in the over head lights of the hallway, “I’m having a similar issue with the door to my quarters, so perhaps you could have a look when you next visit.” 

So he _did_ expect her to return to his quarters. 

“Please, come in.” the engineer gestured for him to enter. 

The quarters shared by the engineer and Captain Vane were modest. Upon entering the space there was a moss green loveseat and a short wooden cabinet that matched the rectangular coffee table. There were two beds, one against each wall of an alcove.

Korina perched herself on the end of the furthest bed. It was dressed with First Order standard issue bedclothes that were accompanied by a patchwork blanket, the pastel tones of which stood out against the dark features of the room. The blanket was one of the few possessions that she had brought with her on the day she left Jakku for the Finalizer. It was older than the engineer herself, but it had been sewn by her mother, and was now her only physical tie to her biological family. 

“So, would you like to go first?” Hux asked. 

“Oh, thank you,” Korina replied as she wrung her hands together nervously, “But I’m not sure exactly what you’d like me to say.” 

“Then allow me to clarify,” the redhead leaned forward in his seat, “I’d like to discuss what action you’d like to take regarding the pregnancy.” 

The engineer nodded. It was pretty much what she had expected of the meeting, “Are you talking about termination?” 

Hux swallowed nervously before answering, “It’s your body, Miss Klovell,” he spoke quietly, “Should you wish to terminate the pregnancy I can have Dr. Verdi deal with that at his earliest convenience...” The General paused to consider his next words but the space was filled by the voice of the engineer. 

“You want me to get rid of it.” 

Korina tried her best to keep her tone even but found it impossible to disguise the sting of disappointment that crept into her words. Her reaction did not go unnoticed by the General, who found himself uncharacteristically affected by her display of emotion, leaving his seated position to kneel in front of the brunette, whose gaze had dropped to the floor. 

“Korina, look at me,” Hux spoke with authority but it wasn’t an order, “Please. You misunderstand...” he reached out a gloved hand and placed it on top of hers, “That’s not what I want.” 

The engineer’s head snapped up to meet his gaze, momentarily surprised by how close their faces were now, “Are you saying you don’t want me to have a termination?” her voice sounded hopeful but retained a heavy dose of suspicion. 

The redhead widened the distance between them but kept his hand on hers, “No, I don’t,” his gaze dropped to their joined hands, “Honestly I don’t know what I want, the only thing I know for certain is that I don’t want you to have a termination.” It was true. 

Korina gave a huge sigh of relief. 

Ever since finding out that she was pregnant she had become more and more convinced that Hux’s wishes would be for her to erase the evidence of their coupling, but now he was telling her that she was wrong, that he definitely didn’t want that. That information alone was overwhelming her emotions, but others were lurking in the background, such as embarrassment over crying in front of the General, and of the confusion that stemmed from his taking her hand in an act of comfort. 

His hand was warm, perhaps due to the gloves but comforting all the same. 

“Well, that’s agreed,” Hux broke the silence that had fallen over them, “We’re keeping the baby.” 

“Yes, we are.” Korina nodded slowly. 

“There is still much to discuss,” the General gently removed his hand from hers, “But I think we should leave that for another day.” His words and actions suggested that he were being cautious for her sake, which was true, but also because his own emotions were creeping in and threatening to break down walls that he had kept built up over the years. 

He had no idea what the next few months would bring if he was so affected by the fact that both parents wanted the child. It must have stemmed from his own parentage and unfortunate childhood. After all, he knew how it felt to be unwanted, and that was something that he would have to confront sooner or later, but not tonight. 

Adjusting his uniform once more, the redhead straightened up and addressed Korina. 

“Perhaps we should meet at my quarters next time, if you would be comfortable with that?” 

“That should be fine.” the engineer nodded, standing to escort him to the door. 

“Very well,” Hux nodded before stepping aside in order for Korina to type in the door code, “I shall be in touch,” he assured before pausing in the doorway, “I assume that contacting you via datapad is convenient? If not I am more than happy to provide you with another method of communication.” 

“No, the datapad is good.” she replied with a small smile. 

Hux returned her smile with a nod, “Goodnight, Miss Klovell.” he said before turning and walking away, arms behind back and chin held high. 

Korina stepped inside and closed the doors, taking a couple of steps before sinking down into the loveseat in the spot vacated by the redhead earlier. She had never expected the General to be so accommodating to anyone. Whether that were due to her pregnancy or if he genuinely liked her company, she did not know, but it worried her a little. She was already beginning to feel some affection towards the man, and if that developed things could get messy, or messier. 

As she was sitting in the spot previously occupied by Hux she had been comforted by the scent of his cologne left behind, only to come to her senses with the sudden realization that Mina would pick up on that in an instant. The blonde would know that Korina had received a gentleman caller in her absence, and she would almost certainly tally it up to being the mystery lover from the night of the Gala. 

Not wanting to risk being asked more questions for fear of her pregnancy being rumbled too, the engineer eyed the time and clung to the hope that she could eliminate or at least disguise the scent of cologne before Mina’s return. 

_'Yes, we should definitely meet in his quarters next time!'_

* * *

It wasn’t until the General was safely locked away in the sanctuary of his quarters that he allowed himself to relax, letting go of the tension in his shoulders and exhaling deeply as he shrugged off his greatcoat before hanging it up and placing his gloves in one of the pockets, opting to have a quick nightcap before retiring to his bed. 

He had taken the shortcut again on his return journey which still left him with ample time to think about his meeting with Korina. There had been less awkwardness than he had anticipated, although how awkward could it be when they’d seen each other naked, not to mention that he was her superior? 

His thoughts occasionally drifted back to the night of the Gala. 

The General hoped to somehow discover more information about what happened between himself and the engineer, but all he could do was speculate as to what led from their ingestion of the drugged beverage to arriving at his quarters. _Of course, he had a fairly good idea of what happened once they were inside his quarters!_

But there must have been another element at play besides the alcohol. Unlike a lot of officers aboard the ship he was not the type of person to engage in casual sex, and from what he could gather, neither was Korina. There had to have been a spark of attraction, because Hux was doubtful that being intoxicated could prompt him to invite her back to his quarters, in fact, it seemed there was more chance of him inviting her to borrow a book on the Galactic Empire than there was of him propositioning her sexually. 

Hux placed his glass down on the counter and took out his datapad, typing out a brief message and pressing 'send' before he could talk himself out of it. 

_'I hope she finds that comforting.'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> What do you think Hux wrote in that message?


	11. Hopes and Fears

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a lot going on in this chapter. It's probably the longest one I've written so far. 
> 
> As always, I appreciate all you readers.

Korina had been fast asleep by the time Mina returned from her shift. 

After the General’s visit the engineer had spent the best part of an hour attempting to erase the scent of cologne from the room, and she thought she had been fairly successful in doing so, although she was incredibly tired by then and had surrendered to the comfort and warmth of her blanket. 

The brunette had almost missed Hux’s message, having switched her notifications to silent for privacy during their discussion, but the blinking light on her datapad had alerted her as she climbed into her bed. Judging by the time the message had come through, He couldn’t have been back at his quarters for long before contacting her. 

Then she had read the message and couldn’t help the smile that crept onto her face.

**Korina - Thank you for your company tonight. I’m glad we’re keeping the baby. I’ll be in touch soon. - Hux**

Their unborn child must have been happy too, because for the first time in days Korina didn’t feel nauseous, and she was even tempted to eat a proper breakfast. Mina hadn’t said a word about anything being amiss following her return, so the engineer relaxed a little and fell into her usual morning routine. 

Pulling the same trick with the caf as she had the previous morning, the brunette casually fixed her mahogany locks into the regulation bun that all female officers sported, eyeing her datapad and pondering whether or not to respond to the General’s last message. After last night’s discussion - when she'd sobbed at the idea of having to terminate the pregnancy - she thought her feelings were obvious. It would seem rather odd if she were to reply with a similar message. 

It was confusing to say the least. Everything that Korina knew about the General was a contrast to the man who had felt the urge to comfort her, and to go out of his way to reassure her. That morning after the Gala he could have simply had her removed from his quarters or indeed the ship. He could have locked her up in the brig or simply flushed her out of an airlock - but he didn’t. 

The door to the refresher opened and the blonde Captain exited, fully dressed aside from her boots, which she retrieved from their spot by the door before perching on the end of her bed and pulling on the footwear. 

“Coming to the canteen?” Mina raised a brow expectantly. 

“Mm, yes,” Korina nodded, “I’m ready for breakfast.” 

It was relatively early so the canteen wasn’t too busy when they arrived. After amassing a tray full of various breakfast foods, Korina seated herself opposite her roommate at an empty table by the wall. The blonde looked down at the tray on the table and gave the engineer a quizzical look. 

“Hungry?” 

“As a matter of fact, yes,” Korina began dissecting an omelette, “When I was feeling sick I didn’t have much of an appetite, so I intend to make up for it.” 

It was another partial truth. She simply didn’t correct the assumption that her nausea was due to a sickness bug, when in fact it had everything to do with the tiny life growing in her womb. The same life that was currently causing her to crave a fruity green pudding that she had only eaten on a couple of occasions since boarding the ship. 

“Hm, does that mean you’ll be joining me for dinner tonight?” Mina inquired. 

“Maybe. I’ll see how I feel once my shift’s over.” the engineer shrugged, resisting the urge to forgo a spoon and just drink the pudding as if it were a cup of caf. 

“Sounds good.” the blonde woman replied, silently observing and adding to the mental list she had been compiling since the previous evening when she’d returned from her shift to detect the faint scent of cologne in their shared quarters... 

* * *

General Hux was doing what he did best - yelling orders at his subordinates on the bridge. 

His hopeful contentment had quickly turned to frustrated contempt as he awoke to the news that Kylo Ren had been on one of his lightsaber rampages, apparently in a childish protest of his TIE not being repaired immediately after he went off on one of his poorly thought out ‘missions’ and ended up losing half a wing.

Hux didn’t care to find out how that came to be, but he _did_ wish that it had been possible to repair the ship right away, at least then the overgrown toddler would have been far away from the Finalizer instead of destroying parts of it during one of his usual tantrums. 

After spending a great deal of time corresponding with the various departments, approving requests for new parts, approving the payment for said parts - and in one case approving medical leave for a crew member who had been left traumatized by his run-in with Ren - Hux had been left in a rather bad mood by the morning’s events, which was why he barely registered the approach of another person. 

“General.” 

The redhead spun around from his position beside the viewing deck, ready to yell at Mitaka or whatever unfortunate crew member had been tasked with delivering bad news to the fearsome superior, only to realize that the voice belonged to a familiar chrome-suited trooper. 

“Captain Phasma,” he greeted the tall figure, “Is everything alright?” 

“I was about to ask you the same question, General.” 

“Oh, and why would that be?” 

Had it been anyone else directing such a remark towards the redhead, he would have been swift to snap at them for overstepping and given them a dressing down right there on the bridge, but Phasma was probably the only person who could get away with such words a in public setting. 

Armitage Hux did not have friends. There were many reasons for that, beginning from his childhood or lack of, thanks to his father. Now there was rarely any space in his schedule for socializing, and even if that weren’t the case, his reputation preceded him. 

It was purely circumstance that had led to him to cross paths with the chrome-suited trooper, and although for a number of years now they had worked alongside each other, traveled together - and even plotted Brendol Hux’s demise together - it seemed a stretch to even consider her an acquaintance, never mind a friend. 

Even so, the woman behind the armor seemed to have at least a little concern for the General, stepping in on occasions when he’d run himself so ragged that he’d neglected eating and sleeping, and even providing an ear for many of his rants about the infuriating Kylo Ren. 

“Something seems rather... _off_ with you, General,” the woman’s helmet tilted to the side slightly, “Call it female intuition.” 

“This is my usual mood when I’ve spent all morning dealing with Ren’s damage,” Hux raised one copper brow, “I’d have thought you’d know that by now, Captain.” 

It was impossible to know what the woman’s expression was underneath her helmet, but her gaze remained on the General, silently scrutinizing the impassive expression that covered his pale features. She knew that his demeanor was down to more than just the force user’s vandalism, but there was no way that Hux would volunteer the information he was keeping under wraps. 

Phasma opted not to pry further, but made a mental note to observe him over the next few days. 

“Of course, General. You are perfectly entitled to feel frustrated, forgive me.” 

Hux offered a curt nod in response before asking, “Was there another reason for your visit, Phasma?” 

“Yes, General. I was calling to report that the new training plans have been submitted. You should find them on your desk.” 

“Very good,” Hux replied in his usual abrupt manner, “You’re dismissed.” 

* * *

Being able to eat something substantial was a welcome development which set the engineer up nicely with the energy she required for a day’s work, a plus since she had a little extra to do following her half day, as well as she and the other engineers sharing some of the work previously allocated to the guy who’d been signed off on medical leave. Officer Gil did not elaborate on the reason for that, although some claimed that crossing paths with Commander Ren had sent the poor soul into a nervous breakdown. 

Fully immersed in her work, which was currently fixing new screws and hinges onto some lockers, Korina missed the footsteps that should have alerted her to another person’s presence. It was only when the familiar and unwelcome voice of Jynna Stobek sounded from somewhere over her right shoulder. 

“Well, what have we here?” 

“I’m working, Lieutenant.” Korina replied with thinly veiled frustration. 

Stobek chuckled as she stepped into the engineer’s line of sight, “Yes, you are,” she tilted her head mockingly, “Not real work of course, but for a desert rat like you a menial position on a ship such as this must be a dream come true!” 

The brunette wanted nothing more than to toss her wrench right at Stobek’s smug face. 

“Well, there’s always room for improvement,” the engineer shrugged before landing a shot of her own, “Perhaps if you spent more time working and less time tormenting me you would achieve a greater rank,” there was no immediate retort so Korina continued, “I thought you were supposed to be ambitious, Lieutenant.” 

“Listen here you little bitch,” Stobek bent down so she was level with the engineer’s gaze, “My career is none of your business. If anything, I should be honored for my work in keeping the First Order untarnished by the likes of you.” 

“And yet, I’m still here.” 

“Not for long,” the Lieutenant’s scowl twisted into a smirk, “You have no idea of the lengths I’d go to.” 

_‘Oh, I have a good idea...’_ thought Korina. 

Before things could escalate any further the sound of heavy footsteps approached. Several stormtroopers passed by the two women, closely followed by Captain Phasma, who came to a halt beside Korina and the Lieutenant. 

“Lieutenant Stobek, I believe your presence is required in hangar C,” a female voice echoed from the chrome helmet, “I’m sure that Miss Klovell wishes to continue her work with no distractions.” 

Jynna straightened her posture and lifted her chin in a show of confidence, “Of course, Captain.” 

As Stobek turned and disappeared down the corridor, Korina prepared to get back to work but paused under the silent scrutiny of the chrome-suited trooper, who despite having her face hidden seemed to be observing the engineer and not her work. It was a little unnerving. 

A couple of seconds later the Captain straightened up and continued on her way without a word. 

_‘That was odd...’_ thought Korina. 

* * *

General Hux leaned against the desk in his office fighting against an anxiety attack. The redhead’s gloved hands were cold and clammy, and his breathing was labored, accompanied by the the elevated thrum of his heartbeat against his increasingly constricted chest. 

_Why had he allowed himself to have hope?_

He was no good, he’d never been good enough, even in his rank as General he felt subpar. 

Armitage Hux was a fraud. He knew it, he’d been told it numerous times by his father, his stepmother, his fellow cadets at the Academy... They had all known it and he had been too blind to see the truth. 

The only things he’d ever been good at were the things he had learned at the Academy. He could create and implement a battle plan in minutes and he could shoot with the precision of a skilled sniper. But what was he if you took away all those things that were tied into the First Order? 

He had no business being anybody’s friend, nor a lover, so he couldn’t fathom why he ever believed that he could be a father. No matter how appealing the idea was to him, the reality was that he would be a failure, just like his father always told him - so why bother trying? 

Hux cursed himself for hoping, for allowing himself to fall for the illusion of happiness he had created within his mind. He felt a sense of shame for every moment he had lain in his bed, imagining a future where he could be himself and be loved for it. He wanted to be someone besides a General. 

But he had no business wanting that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	12. Change of Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who spent all afternoon writing? I'm really trying to keep the momentum going with this story. Thank you so much for your comments and kudos - they are fueling me! :)
> 
> This chapter doesn't contain much Hux but it does address his conflict.

It didn’t strike Korina as unusual when there was no contact from Hux for the next couple of days. After all, he was a busy man, and she supposed that could explain his last message; the affirmation that he was pleased with their mutual decision to continue with the pregnancy. She thought perhaps he had reached out to her to offer some reassurance, in case his sudden lack of contact alarmed her. It seemed possible after the show of concern the man had displayed so far. 

Unfortunately, the third day since their last meeting was the day that the engineer’s morning sickness returned, seemingly worse than ever. 

It was early, earlier than she’d usually be awake, and for that reason she crept past her sleeping roommate as silently as possible, only exhaling a breath once the refresher door was closed shut behind her. 

The floor tiles were cold but Korina found herself on her knees, unable to sit or stand without expending what little energy she had at that moment. The temperature of the room was of little importance as she felt the bile rise in her throat. It burned as she attempted to expel it with minimum noise and movement, lest she awaken Mina and face any awkward questions. 

* * *

Mina Vane was no stranger to her roommate being up and awake before her, and so hearing the other woman moving around early in the morning was something she was used to after months of sharing the same space. Korina would usually be busy brewing caf and making porridge while the Captain remained cocooned in her bedding, grabbing as much shut-eye as she could before she had to get up and get ready for a long shift. 

Captain Vane had already decided that this particular morning would be different. 

It was a little earlier than expected, but as Mina feigned slumber she heard the soft rustling of the engineer’s bed covers as she slipped out of bed and crept barefoot across the room in the direction of the refresher. 

The door closed with a small click and Mina began to count in her head. 

_‘One...two...three...four...five...’_

She had barely made it to six before the muffled sound of retching could be heard. The blonde woman had been fairly confident in her suspicions, but she wanted to be sure, and now she was convinced that all the little clues she’d picked up on all added up to the same conclusion. 

After a few minutes the sounds from the other side of the wall muted before ceasing completely. With that, the Captain took her cue, quietly emerging from her own bed and making her way to the refresher.

* * *

The relief washed over Korina as she splashed her heated face with cold water. 

Satisfied that the sickness had subsided for now, the engineer spared a moment to eye her reflection in the mirror, surprised to see that she didn't look quite as bad as she felt. She had heard Bellis mention numerous times over the years that expectant women developed a healthy glow as their pregnancy progressed, and that idea seemed more appealing by the day, because her dark work overalls did nothing to disguise how pale she was looking as of late. 

Satisfied that her stomach had settled the engineer went to exit the room, letting out a shriek of surprise as she opened the door to find her roommate waiting directly in front of her, still dressed in her sleep clothes, her arms folded across her chest and a curious expression on her face. 

“Oh, my stars!” Korina exclaimed, clutching a hand to her chest, “Mina! You scared me." 

“Sorry, but I heard noises and I was worried about you,” the blonde woman replied, “You really need to see a doctor.” 

“No!” the brunette cursed herself for the knee-jerk response, “I’m not sick, I...” 

“No?” Mina raised a brow, “Just pregnant, right?” Korina’s jaw dropped. 

When her roommate made no reply the blonde woman continued, “Did you think I wouldn’t work it out sooner or later?” 

“I was hoping it would be the latter.” the engineer admitted. 

“Korina,” her roommate’s tone was soft as she guided her to sit down on the edge of her unmade bed, “There have been a few signs here and there, not just the fact that you’ve been getting morning sickness. There’s also the change in appetite, cutting down on your morning caf, and suspicious trips to the medbay,” the Captain explained, “Oh, and I knew a man had been in here when I got home the other night. 

The brunette groaned. She didn't think her roommate had noticed that. 

“As for the father, it’s obviously your mystery man from the Gala, so when are you gonna tell him?

“He already knows, Mina.” 

“What?” the blonde’s eyes widened, “And? Is he taking responsibility?” 

“We’ve agreed to keep the baby.” Korina nodded, hoping that she could appease her roommate for now. 

“So, who is he?” the Captain folded her arms and raised a brow, looking reminiscent of a parent questioning their child’s behavior, “At the very least tell me his rank,” she appealed, “I don’t want to accidentally hit on your baby daddy.” 

The engineer couldn’t help but laugh, “I doubt you’d try hitting on this guy.” 

“Someone that I wouldn’t hit on?” Mina frowned before her features twisted into a look of horror, “Tell me it’s not Commander Ren!” 

The brunette shot a disgusted look at her roommate, “I can assure you it is absolutely not him.” 

“Sorry! But based on the information...” The Captain’s expression became even more animated, “No...no...it can’t be,” she eyed the engineer for a reaction, “General Hux?” The slightest twitch of Korina’s mouth had the blonde jumping up from her spot on the bed and pacing the floor in a state of shock, “Seriously? You’re telling me you got knocked up by General Hux!” 

“Mina!” the brunette was on her feet and clamping her hand over her roommate’s mouth. 

“I have so many questions...” 

“Yeah, well you’ll have plenty more once I tell you how I ended up in his bed.” 

“You have my full attention,” Mina nodded, climbing back onto the bed and sitting cross-legged, “First question - Hux, is he any good?” 

Korina rolled her eyes at the blonde woman, “I can’t believe there was ever a time when I thought you were sweet and innocent.” 

* * *

Still chastising himself for entertaining any thoughts of domestic bliss, General Hux had reverted to his stone cold persona that had crew members scurrying out of his way as he swept down the corridors, fully dressed in his First Order uniform, the clothing acting as a shield, keeping others at a safe distance through fear and intimidation. That was how it needed to be, he told himself. 

In the early hours he had been kept from some much needed sleep by the feeling of guilt swirling in his gut. No matter how much he tried to deny it, to block it out, he couldn’t ignore the fact that his guilt was the product of his actions, or rather lack of action, when it came to the woman who carried his child. 

She didn’t know it yet, but she would soon realize that he had abandoned her - and his unborn child. 

The urge to draft a new message to Korina had been there since before he went to bed the previous evening, so although he tried his best to stifle it, he couldn’t help the jolt of anticipation that he felt upon hearing the chime of his datapad. 

Coming to a halt in the middle of the hallway, he retrieved the device from his greatcoat and swiped at the screen, unsure of how to feel as he eyed the sender of the new message. It wasn’t Korina, but it was Dr. Verdi, and since the engineer had been copied into the message it had to be related to either the pregnancy or the circumstances surrounding it. Opening the notification the redhead scanned the words displayed on the screen. 

_I have taken the liberty of arranging an appointment for you both today at 18:00 hours. Hope you can make it._

Not for the first time since learning that he was going to be a father, Hux was unsure of what to do. He had no idea what to say to Korina, in fact, being in the same room as her was an uncomfortable prospect right now. His resolve was sure to crumble in her presence, even after spending the last two days convincing himself that keeping his distance was key in his efforts to snuff out any unwelcome feelings. 

He could ignore the message. Perhaps Korina and Dr. Verdi would assume that he had been too busy to check his messages. He needed more time to process everything. Any more talk of pregnancy and fatherhood would further muddle his thoughts. 

Opting not to reply to the doctor’s message, the General locked his datapad and slipped it back into the pocket of his greatcoat, adjusting his uniform and slicking back his copper locks before continuing on his way down the corridor. 

* * *

  
Thanks to the extra workload, Korina didn’t have much time to spare once she’d finished her shift, so she made her way straight to the nearest elevator and pressed the button that would take her to the floor that housed the medbay. 

She had yet to hear from Hux, but she had noted that Dr. Verdi’s message had also been sent to the General, so she was satisfied that he knew of the appointment. He’d probably be waiting for her to arrive since he was renowned for being incredibly punctual. 

The double doors of the medbay came into view but there was no sign of Hux, so she entered the reception area and approached the main desk, today manned by a human instead of a droid. 

“How may I help you?” the older woman asked. Korina wondered how long she’d worked there. She had to be at least twice the engineer’s age, judging by the crow’s feet and smile lines on her face, as well as the silver streaks weaving through her ashy blonde curls. 

“Korina Klovell, I have an appointment with Dr. Verdi.” 

“Take a seat, the doctor shouldn’t be too long.” the woman, whose name tag read ‘Peg’ replied. 

Taking a seat on one of the nearest chairs the engineer thought about that morning’s conversation with Mina. Her roommate had been silent with disbelief as Korina recalled everything from the morning after the Gala to her most recent interaction with Lieutenant Stobek. The blonde woman was supportive as usual, and it was a relief to the brunette that she didn’t have to hide her condition within their shared quarters anymore. 

“The doctor will see you now,” Peg called from her desk, “Please make your way to room 7B.” 

Korina stood, thanking the woman before making her way to the relevant room. 

Her knuckles had barely touched the door when Dr. Verdi’s voice sounded, “Come in.” 

The doctor was alone in the room, which was kitted out with more equipment than the last examination room she’d been in. A bed with a monitor attached to it lined the back wall while the space between the doctor’s desk and the bed was lined with various medical apparatus. 

“Take a seat, Miss Klovell.” the doctor smiled and gestured towards the two seats in front of his desk. 

The engineer occupied the one away from the wall before looking across the desk and awaiting whatever the doctor had to say. 

“I’m afraid the General must have been delayed, so if you don’t mind getting started now, I'll take a look at your womb to begin with,” the man smiled reassuringly, “Just pop yourself up on the bed and roll up your shirt.” 

Korina followed his instruction and waited as he went about setting up the monitor, wondering what might have held the General up from attending the appointment, only being drawn from her thoughts by the unexpected sensation of cold gel on the exposed skin of her lower abdomen. 

“Sorry, should have warned you it was a bit cold,” Dr. Verdi looked apologetic, “Now, just stay nice and still while I try and get a good look at things.” He began moving something over her tummy, pressing down a little in places. 

Whatever was displayed on the screen just looked like a fuzzy blur to Korina until the doctor adjusted his screen and the picture became clearer. Dr. Verdi’s face broke into a smile at something on the monitor, leaving the engineer squinting her brown eyes to see what he was seeing, but not sure what she should be looking for in the first place. They’d never had this kind of equipment on Jakku when Zeelia was pregnant. 

Finally the doctor turned to look at his patient, reaching out and pointing his finger at a darker spot the monitor, “This is a gestational sac, and although not visible yet, your baby is growing in there.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! :) 
> 
> I love reading comments - so feel free to leave one! ;)


	13. Damage is Done

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back to another chapter! I'm impressing myself with the regular updates. 
> 
> This was such a difficult chapter to write.  
> We see what happens when Hux lets his fears get the best of him... Poor Korina needs a hug after this.

Hux read the message back in the safety of his quarters. Then he read it again, and again. 

**Hux - Sorry you couldn’t make the appointment. Dr. Verdi says everything looks good with the baby. - Korina**

He was glad that things had been okay at the doctor’s appointment, he truly was. 

The well-being of Korina and the baby was of utmost importance to the General, hence the reason he was removing himself from the equation, because he couldn’t see how he fit into any of it. Maybe his presence would be missed at first, but it was best for everyone in the long run - he would only ruin things. 

How could a man like him be worthy? 

From the very beginning he had been a disappointment - a dark cloud looming over a seemingly perfect marriage. Brendol Hux resented his son, the illegitimate child he never wanted, born of a lowly kitchen woman and not of his wife, Maratelle. 

Only when it became apparent that his wife was unable to bear him a legitimate heir, did Brendol grudgingly accept Armitage, whom he considered weak in every way. _‘Thin as a slip of paper and just as useless,’_ his father’s words often echoed in his head. They never ceased, even with the elder Hux’s death, which Armitage had orchestrated with Phasma. 

The General was certainly not what you would expect of a father figure, but perhaps he would have been had his own father been kinder towards him. With no positive male role model himself how could he ever be one for his own flesh and blood? 

He didn’t doubt that his child would have a caring mother. 

_Korina._

How the engineer had gained his affection in such a short space of time was a mystery to Hux, especially since he had long doubted his ability to even feel genuine affection, something else his father had regarded as a weakness. Not for the first time, the General had to wonder what it was that attracted him to the young woman. 

She was beautiful, of course, but in a way that was natural. 

As far as Hux was concerned, the engineer had no need for makeup when she possessed such sparkling brown eyes and long dark lashes, not to mention those dusky pink lips that, when curled into a smile, illuminated her entire face. He wasn’t sure when, why, or how he’d noticed it, but she had a tiny scar just above her brow, and the bridge of her nose was scattered with the faintest freckles. 

He should be angry, frustrated, full of disdain that Korina had somehow gotten under his skin and made him _feel_ \- made him feel things that he shouldn’t, and things that couldn’t ever be. He should have quelled the silly dreams and misplaced optimism before they threatened his sense of reason and logic. 

_‘Don’t dwell on it,’_ he told himself, _‘You don’t deserve her either.’_

* * *

Korina had been woken by morning sickness again, something she was growing accustomed to, but the difference now was not having to conceal it from Mina, who since becoming aware of the situation had quickly assumed an unspoken responsibility towards her pregnant roommate. 

She was tempted to contact the father of her child. They hadn’t communicated by any means since the night he visited her quarters, save for the unanswered message that the engineer had sent after returning from the appointment with Dr. Verdi the previous evening. 

Her schedule for the day included a repair job within walking distance of the General’s office, and she had spent the morning toying with the idea of calling by to see him in person, ultimately dismissing the idea for fear of being a nuisance. After all, if he hadn’t had a chance to contact her it was unlikely that he’d have time to spare for a face to face meeting. 

The last thing Korina wanted to do was come across as needy. Just because she was pregnant didn’t mean she needed constant reassurance from the redhead, besides, she had nothing of importance to tell him aside from elaborating on the doctor’s news, and for all she knew the medic could have informed Hux himself. 

Their unborn child was healthy, Dr. Verdi had told her, and that was the important thing. 

The General had no real need to interact with the engineer if it didn’t pertain to the pregnancy. They weren’t an item - there was no romance or attraction between them - at least that was what Korina told herself, putting her increasingly muddled feelings towards the redhead down to hormones. 

_‘I’m carrying his child,’_ she reminded herself, _‘It would be weird if I didn’t feel something.’_

* * *

Hux didn’t bother raising his head from his datapad as the door of his office slid open. He was double checking the numbers for a new order of blasters to arm the upcoming group of stormtrooper recruits. He was expecting Captain Phasma at some point for that reason, since the stormtrooper training program was her responsibility. 

But it wasn’t Phasma that entered the General’s office. There was no clunk of chrome footsteps, nor was the figure approaching the desk as tall as the Captain. Any confusion disappeared the moment the redhead heard a familiar voice. 

“I’m sorry to bother you, General,” Korina smiled apologetically, “But I was passing by and I wondered whether we could arrange a time to meet and discuss the things we’ve not had the chance to yet?” 

Hux lowered his head to his lap for a moment, swallowing nervously before lifting his gaze to meet the engineer’s gaze, her brown eyes wide and hopeful while his blue ones had taken on a steely glare. _'It's better for everyone if you do this now...'_ he tried to convince himself, even as his gut was warning him not to say what he was about to say. 

“I don’t think that would be wise, Miss Klovell.” he spoke calmly, never breaking his gaze from hers. 

“Oh, well there’s no rush, the young woman shrugged, “I understand that you’re busy.” 

“No.”

The General cleared his throat, clasping his gloved hands in front of him on the desk. 

“No? Is there a problem, Sir?” Korina was confused by the coldness of the man who just days earlier had held her hand and comforted her as she wept. 

“Miss Klovell, I’m afraid I was mistaken in my belief that we could raise a child together.” 

“Excuse me?” the brunette had confusion written all over her face. 

Hux took a deep breath, steeling himself for what he was about to do, “The idea was ridiculous from the start. What possessed me to consider it I don’t know,” he rose from his chair and walked around his desk, gloved hands clasped behind his back in full General mode, “I cannot be a part of this.” 

Korina was aghast, “Are you saying that you don’t want to keep this baby?” she asked, hands coming to rest protectively over her stomach. 

“Yes, Miss Klovell, that’s exactly what I’m saying.” Hux raised his voice a little - one of his intimidation tactics, “You can’t be so naive as to think that such an arrangement could ever work? Me - a General, and you - an engineer.” he sneered. 

Heat pricked at the corners of the young woman’s eyes. A single tear escaped, leaving a salty trail as it rolled down her cheek. 

“Why? Why are you saying this now?” she demanded through barely stifled sobs, “It’s like you’re a different person.” 

“I _am_ a different person, Miss Klovell,” the redhead paused just in front of her, “Different than the one you knew.” 

“You...you’re...” 

“I’m what, Miss Klovell?” Hux loomed over her, “Hm? What am I?” 

The door of the General’s office slid open suddenly to admit Captain Phasma. 

The chrome-armored trooper paused in the doorway and observed the scene in front of her. Hux looked angered, his face was flushed, his jaw clenched, and his gloved hands curled into fists. In front of him was a distraught engineer. The young woman was openly sobbing but doing her best to fight it, not wanting to break down completely. 

“My apologies, General. I did not mean to interrupt but I was under the impression that you were expecting me.” the Captain’s voice echoed from the chrome helmet. 

“I’m leaving anyway,” Korina announced through an escaped sob, “My apologies for delaying you, General,” she looked in his direction but couldn’t bring herself to make eye contact with the man who had just broken her heart, “Captain Phasma,” she nodded as she slipped past the trooper and out into the hallway. 

The office door slid shut behind her, prompting the General to return to his desk. He began addressing Phasma immediately, ignoring the scene which the chrome-armored woman had entered on. 

“I’ve just been going over the figures for the shipment...” Hux trailed off as the woman reached up and removed her chrome helmet, revealing her disheveled blonde hair and narrowed blue eyes. Her facial expression was difficult to define, although Armitage recognized flashes of suspicion, disappointment, and frustration. 

“Forget the blasters. What exactly did I just walk in on?” 

* * *

“What’s going on?” Captain Vane asked her roommate as she entered their shared quarters that evening. 

Korina was visibly upset, her eyes were ringed with redness and her cheeks were mapped by the trails of shed teardrops. Her breathing was labored after sobbing for so long. It had been an hour since she’d left the General’s office in a state of shock, not sure what had just transpired but knowing that she had to make it back to her quarters immediately, desperate to hide away from everything - and everyone. 

What happened following her roommate’s return had been a blur of tears from her and outrage from Mina as the engineer recapped the entire interaction in Hux’s office. After crying some more she was pulled from her thoughts by gentle hands on her shoulders. 

Mina began ushering her roommate into the refresher, “I’ve drawn you a nice warm bath,” she gestured towards the bubbly bathtub, “You need to calm down and try to relax,” the blonde smiled as she went to exit the room, “I’m stepping out for a while. I’ll be back soon.” 

_‘Please don’t go yelling at Hux.’_ thought Korina a second too late as she heard the blonde leaving their shared quarters. 

* * *

“I’ve left you some reading material on your bed.” the Captain told her roommate when she finally emerged from the refresher. 

Padding over to the bed and picking up one of the books there, the engineer frowned confusedly, “Where did you get these?” she asked her roommate, “How did pregnancy books even end up on the Finalizer?” 

“You do know there’s a library on board, right?” Mina replied with a smirk. 

“On a star destroyer?” Korina looked unconvinced. 

“Yes, for real,” the blonde chuckled, “Apparently it’s a good resource for the lower ranking officers who want to study things like military strategy and historic battles,” she shrugged, “And there's a lot of crew members who enjoy reading in their free time. I found those books in the medical section.” 

“Okay, but won’t they know that the pregnancy books have been checked out?” the engineer fretted, “If word gets around that...” 

“Relax,” Mina placed a reassuring hand on her roommate’s shoulder, “The library is manned completely by droids, and they aren’t programmed to judge or gossip.” 

Korina’s shoulders relaxed and she turned to face the blonde woman, “Thank you, Mina.” 

“No problem,” she smiled, “Don’t worry,” she brought her face level with the engineer’s stomach, “Aunt Mina’s going to take care of you both.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Much appreciated. :)


	14. No Excuses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm annoyed that this chapter took so long to get written and posted.   
> It's not one of the best chapters but it's setting up for what happens next. 
> 
> As always, I appreciate you readers. :)

Armitage couldn’t sleep. He was torn up with regret. 

He had felt it as soon as the venomous words poured from his lips, watching Korina’s hopeful face and pretty features contort into a picture of confusion, quickly followed by fear, and then by agony. Hux could pinpoint the moment that her heart had been broken, because he’d felt it too; the stabbing in his chest and gut as he callously discarded the closest thing to happiness that he’d ever known. 

Every time he closed his eyes he could see the look on Korina’s face. 

Hux had seen many expressions directed at him over the years; from his father’s disappointment and his stepmother’s disdain, to the concern of Phasma when he neglected himself, and Mitaka’s anxiety whenever he had bad news to deliver to his superior, but he would never forget the look of anguish on the engineer’s face. That image was burned into his memory now - etched into his very soul - and it would no doubt torment him for years to come.

He didn’t think it would be so painful. He really had thought it was for the best. 

Phasma had _really_ let him have it after Korina had fled. Talk of weaponry and trooper training had been cast aside immediately, and the chrome-armored trooper had managed to coax almost every detail from him until he broke down completely, cursing his own fears and obsessive thoughts for driving himself to that point. 

Hux neglected to mention the fact that he and the engineer had been under the influence of more than just liquor the night that they had conceived their child. The redhead was still working on compiling evidence against Lieutenant Stobek, and as far as he was concerned, the less people who knew about that the better. 

The General didn’t need Phasma to tell him how much he’d screwed up - it was glaringly obvious - but she did anyway, and he readily accepted her words. She was correct in her observations. The woman’s face was so often hidden underneath a helmet that it was easy to forget the person underneath, the one who despite her strength and stature knew what it was to feel pain, and to feel the sort of human emotions that Hux struggled to comprehend. 

As a female, she also seemed to be clued up on Korina’s condition. Hux was reprimanded by the Captain for his lack of consideration and for causing stress towards the already emotional engineer, which was not good for the baby. Experiencing such emotional trauma put the young woman at risk of losing the baby, especially at this early stage. 

He silently accepted Phasma’s words - after all, they were correct - he had caused undue stress to the young woman, something that negatively affected her unborn child too. In a foolish effort to spare Korina and the child she carried from the pain of his presence he had caused them both greater distress. 

He didn’t want to endanger them both. But he had done just that, and if Korina never forgave him it would be completely justified. 

_‘But I have to try...’_ he told himself as the clock signaled another hour that he’d gone without sleep. 

* * *

It was the three days later that Hux received his second scolding. 

After another long shift on the bridge, the General began the walk back to his quarters, tired, stressed, and thinking about opening the bottle of Corellian whiskey that had sat at the back of his kitchen cabinet for at least six months. But something stopped him in his tracks. 

Over the past couple of days he had messaged Korina a dozen times, expressing his remorse and apologizing over and over, eventually pleading with the engineer to acknowledge his attempts at communication. He’d never resorted to such behavior before, but if getting down on his knees and begging for her forgiveness would make her hate him just a _little_ less, then he would gladly do it. 

With a sudden newfound resolve he turned on his heel, his polished boots making a squeaking noise that echoed along the empty hallway, his greatcoat following after him with a whirl and a flutter. The redhead strode through the winding corridors of the Finalizer with purpose, his stony expression sending a warning to the crew members he passed along the way - do not approach. Unsurprisingly they all gave him a wide berth. 

Hux could scarcely keep his nerves under control as approached his destination. The sound of his footsteps served as a useful distraction as he counted them, but with every step he could feel his heart beat a little faster, gloved fists clenched anxiously, and his usually pale face becoming a couple of shades paler as the dread set in. 

Summoning all of the courage that had prompted his spontaneous visit, the General raised a gloved hand and rapped three times on the door with an underlying sense of urgency. 

He had no time to rearrange his thoughts before the door whooshed open, but it wouldn’t have made a difference if he had, because all words died in his throat as he was greeted not by Korina, but by a short blonde woman in a First Order Captain’s uniform. 

If looks could kill Armitage would be laying lifeless on the cold tile floor. 

“Captain Vane,” Hux greeted the woman, “You’re probably aware of why I’m here...” 

“Oh, I’m aware, General,” Mina folded her arms across her chest, “But what makes you think that you have any right to turn up here, unannounced, after what you’ve done?” 

He didn't respond so Mina continued, clearly having no qualms about dressing down her superior. 

“Korina is absolutely heartbroken. You were cold and hurtful with no reason. You led her on and gave her hope before crushing it,” the Captain kept her tone hushed yet lost none of its severity, “Now you’re standing here in front of our quarters - for reasons I’m sure will be selfish and trivial - expecting her to believe a word you say after behaving so cruelly.” 

Hux flinched at the blonde woman’s harsh words. His shame intensified with each one. 

“I need to speak to her in person, please.” 

“And why would I let that happen after the last time you talked in person?” 

“Please, I need to see her,” he appealed, his hardened facade was slipping under the weight of his desperation, “She won’t return my messages.” 

Mina rolled her eyes, “I wonder why.” 

* * *

After the General had finally accepted defeat and bid the Captain farewell, asking that she tell Korina of his visit, the blonde woman waited until his imposing figure disappeared from sight before stepping back inside. 

“He’s gone.” Mina’s voice drew her roommate from her hiding place - the refresher. 

The engineer had not deliberately hidden from the father of her unborn child. She happened to be in there anyway when the General had called by, having begun to experience yet another frustrating pregnancy symptom. Dr. Verdi referred to it as ‘frequent urination’ but in plain terms - she couldn’t stop peeing. Between that and her morning sickness she was sure that in the past week or so she’d spent more time in the refresher than she had in her own bed. 

“Thanks, Mina.” the brunette breathed a sigh of relief, returning to the comfort of her bed. 

“You okay?” 

The engineer chewed on her bottom lip, deep in thought, “He sounded...off.” 

“He looks rough,” her roommate confirmed, “Like he’s not been sleeping.” 

“That seems fair,” Korina shrugged, “I’ve not been sleeping well either.” 

There was something in the engineer’s words and demeanor that had the blonde woman eyeing her strangely. 

“Can I ask you something?” the Captain paused for her roommate to nod her head in response, “This is just the pregnancy thing, right?” the blonde’s brow furrowed slightly, “It’s not like you have any feelings for Hux.” 

The engineer sighed and stared down at her socked feet, “Honestly, I’m not sure...” 

Mina pressed gently, “How do you mean, not sure?” 

Her roommate hadn’t expected that question. It was difficult to answer. 

“Look, I’m not saying I’m in love with the guy or anything,” Korina began, “But I’ve been kind of drawn to him since before we knew about the pregnancy. He was just so...different to what I assumed, which was nice - but that was before before he acted like he did the other day,” She looked down at her nonexistent bump and sighed, “But I still have these feelings that I can’t quite place. They’re strong, but I don’t know if that’s me or if it’s just because being pregnant is getting my emotions all messed up.” 

“No offense, but this whole situation is kind of messed up.” 

“Yeah,” Korina nodded in agreement, “I could do with some advice but I’m fairly confident that there’s no book that details what to do when your nasty colleague drugs you out of spite and causes you to become pregnant after having sex with your boss, who was also drugged accidentally.” 

“Maybe you should write one.” Mina offered an amused grin. 

The engineer playfully tossed a pillow at her roommate, “Nobody would believe something _that_ crazy.” 

* * *

Lieutenant Jynna Stobek was sitting at one of the heavily occupied tables in the packed canteen, but the hustle and bustle of crew members taking advantage of their lunch break to eat and trade gossip with friends was of no distraction to her. She had other things on her mind. 

The woman slowly stirred the steaming mug of caf on the table in front of her, thinking, plotting, imagining...

_‘No good scum, thinks she can get away with making a fool out of me...’_

Her most recent interaction with Klovell in the hallway had only exaggerated the spiteful feelings that she held towards the engineer, determined to formulate a new plan of action when it came to ridding the First Order of the desert whore, who remained onboard the Finalizer despite Jynna’s initial optimism at discovering her rival had spent the night with one of the higher ranking officers. 

The thought of it made the Lieutenant grimace, _‘Whoever it was must have very low standards.’_

The powdered orcasite root had seemed foolproof but it was ultimately unsuccessful. Stobek would need another method if she wanted to succeed in her bid to oust the engineer. She knew that if her objective was to be achieved there would have to be something bigger and better - something that would not fail her this time. 

But in the meantime it couldn’t hurt to keep up the taunting. 

Stobek took a sip of caf, breaking into a satisfied smirk as her mind continued to consider her next act of harassment, knowing that she would derive great pleasure from ridding the First Order of that scum once and for all.

At first Jynna had wanted to break the engineer for the sheer glory of knowing that she had forced her into quitting, but she didn’t care how it came about now - quitting, fired, even dead - the end goal was getting that piece of Jakku junk off the Finalizer. 

Unknown to the corrupt Lieutenant, she was being quietly observed by a figure across the canteen...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! :) 
> 
> Who do you think was watching Lieutenant Stobek in the canteen?


	15. Best Laid Plans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here, have another chapter! ;) 
> 
> Now I'm super excited to write the next one...

Nobody on the bridge would believe it if they saw it with their own eyes. The fearsome General - who seemed to take equal parts pleasure and annoyance at yelling orders - doing his own household chores. 

In an attempt to pass the time that he was spending wide awake, unable to sleep thanks to recent developments, the redhead had taken to completing some of the tasks usually dealt with by housekeeping droids, hence the reason that the man who struck fear into at least three quarters of the people aboard the Finalizer was busy folding his laundry. 

It was a remarkably tedious job, but sorting, folding, and hanging various items in shades of black and grey was a welcome distraction for the General. His intention of keeping his mind from drifting to thoughts of a certain engineer hit a snag, however, when he came across the only colorful item of clothing in the laundry basket. 

It was a dress. 

The long red gown that Korina had worn to the Officer’s Gala some weeks earlier. Hux recalled how he’d retrieved the shimmering garment from the floor of his bedroom and told the engineer that he would have it laundered for her. He had completely forgotten until now, and he assumed she had too as it had never been mentioned since. Although to be fair they both had a lot going on - so laundry was the least of their worries. 

Hux sighed as he held the red material of the gown in his hand, comforted by the smooth texture and wishing he could recall what the young woman had looked like wearing it at the Gala. The redhead hadn’t expected Korina to forgive him, yet her refusal to even answer his messages grated at him. So he had formulated a plan as he lay awake for what seemed like the millionth time in the week that had passed since last seeing the engineer. He hadn’t gotten the rank of General by giving up so easily, so why should this be any different? After all, this was his child, his future, and of equal or even greater importance than his military standing. 

Armitage Hux was not one for grand gestures, but if anything warranted one then it was probably this.

His plan had been unknowingly assisted by Dr. Verdi, who was presumably unaware of the relationship breakdown between the expectant parents, and thus sent an appointment to both of their datapads. 

There was always the chance that Korina would reach out and rectify the inclusion of Hux in the any pregnancy communications. She was unlikely to miss his name copied into the message but perhaps she would assume that the General wouldn’t dare turn up at the medbay for fear of causing a scene or arousing suspicion from crew members who happened to be there. The medical staff weren’t an issue as they were all bound by an oath of patient confidentiality - even the medical droids. 

So the redhead made his decision to attend Korina’s appointment that evening. 

He placed the dress aside for now, planning on giving it to her in person if she would see him again, but deciding that should that not be an option he would have a droid deliver it to her quarters, perhaps with a handwritten note once he had decided what to say exactly. 

_‘What can I say that I haven’t already said?'_ he pondered to himself.   
  


* * *

Korina was used to making trips to the medbay by now, and if all went well with her pregnancy she’d be making a lot more in the next eight months or so. She hadn’t allowed herself to think about what would happen then, but she remembered seeing Zeelia in labor back on Jakku, and she hoped that one of the benefits of the First Order was it’s medbay having access to strong pain medication. 

It was difficult to believe that the Gala was six weeks ago. What she could actually recall of the event was still vivid in her mind, but after drinking the tainted beverage she remembered nothing until waking in Hux’s bed the following morning, not counting the flashes of their intimate relations that she had originally written off as a dream. 

Now there was a six week old life making itself at home in her womb. 

Once again the engineer entered the medbay to find the woman she’d identified as Peg behind the front desk. The older woman looked up from her work when she heard the doors slide open, peering over the top of pewter colored spectacles that nicely complimented the streaks of silver running through her curly blonde locks. 

“Hello again, Korina isn’t it?” she smiled, “You can go right ahead, it’s room 7B again.” 

“Thank you.” the younger woman nodded politely before making her way to the relevant room. 

The door of the room was open when she arrived, peering in to see Dr. Verdi sitting casually in his desk chair, one leg crossed over the other so that he could balance a thick medical journal on his lap while jotting notes down onto the pad of paper sitting on his desk. 

“Come in, Miss Klovell,” the doctor greeted her while keeping his gaze trained on the book in his lap, “I’m almost done with this.” 

Not wanting to speak and interrupt his thoughts, Korina quietly entered the room and took a seat opposite the doctor, dedicating some time to looking around the room, which she assumed was his own office based on the medical qualifications hanging on the wall behind him. She read the nearest one with interest, not because it was for anything remarkable, but because it revealed that his first name was Lorn. 

_‘Doesn’t really suit him.’_ she thought to herself. 

For some reason the name conjured up images of a younger man, one who was relaxed and free spirited, and radiating confidence, which bore absolutely no resemblance to the man in front of her now. He wasn’t a bad looking man, just average, and although he made attempts at humor she could never imagine him being the life of the party. 

The doctor closed the medical journal and replaced it in the relevant gap on his shelf full of medical literature. He swiveled his chair slightly so that he was facing his patient, offering a small smile as he tapped into the computer on his desk and brought up Korina’s notes. 

“How are you, Miss Klovell?” he asked her. 

“Tired,” she replied, deeming it unnecessary to bring up her issues with the father of her child. 

Dr. Verdi chuckled, “Ah, that’s to be expected, I’m afraid,” he adjusted his glasses which had been sloping down his nose, “If it’s any consolation it’s a good sign that your body is doing everything needed to make your baby comfortable in the next few months.” 

“That is reassuring,” the engineer agreed, suddenly feeling very protective towards her unborn child. 

“Well, shall we take another look at that womb?” the doctor asked, “See if we can see anything today.” 

Korina nodded wordlessly and made her way over to the bed, positioning herself as she did last time and lifting her shirt to reveal her still flat abdomen, fighting the urge to close her eyes lest she surrender to her fatigue and fall asleep there in the doctor’s office. 

“I’ll warn you this time,” Dr. Verdi held up a tube with a small nozzle, “The gel will feel cold!” 

Not that it mattered anyway. Years of living in the heat of Jakku had made adjusting to the cool airiness of the Finalizer surprisingly easy, and the engineer had found herself enjoying the new temperature, although she had often heard other crew members complain about the ship being too cold. 

The doctor switched on the monitor and went about the same process as he had two weeks previously, spreading the cool gel over Korina’s tummy area with his device of some sort and pressing down in certain places. The engineer watched Dr. Verdi’s face as his pale green eyes roamed over the screen. 

“Do you remember last time, when I said your baby was growing here but you couldn’t see it yet?” the doctor pointed to the darker area on the screen, “Well, now you can.” 

Korina eyed the area he was pointing at but couldn’t see anything much different to the last time, and was about to voice this when she noticed what the doctor was showing her. She never would have noticed it had he not pointed it out, but now she was just able to make out a tiny grey blot, hugging itself close to the inner edge of the dark shape. 

She looked from the screen to the doctor’s face, “Is that...?” 

“Yes, that tiny thing there is your baby.” 

“It’s only been two weeks since we last looked,” the young woman shook her head in disbelief, “How fast does it grow?” 

Dr. Verdi smiled at the look of wonder on Korina’s face, “It’s growing as we speak. It’s not detectable quite yet but this,” he pointed again at the tiny grey shape, “Already has a heartbeat.” 

“Wow, that’s just...” 

Korina didn’t get a chance to finish her sentence, because at that moment the door of the room opened, drawing the attention of doctor and patient away from the image of new life on the screen. The young woman gasped as General Hux walked into the doctor’s office, looking every inch the stern military man that he was on the bridge. 

“Excuse me, Sir,” the robotic tone of a medical droid sounded behind the redhead in the doorway, “You are not permitted to enter the room when the doctor is with a patient.” 

“It’s okay, Mindy. I’ll allow it.” Dr. Verdi informed the droid, who looked from the doctor to the General and back again before backing out of the room and presumably returning to the reception area. 

“Mindy?” Hux raised an eyebrow towards the doctor. 

“It’s easier to say than MN89D1E, isn’t it?” Dr. Verdi replied with a shrug. 

Hux didn’t bother with a reply. He was focused on the brunette sitting up on the bed, still shocked to see him there, her brown eyes were wide like a startled loth-cat. 

“What are you doing here?” she managed to squeak out, finding it hard to form words. 

“Korina, I want to be here, for you.” the General began to approach but the engineer recoiled. 

“Don’t, just don’t.” she shook her head firmly. 

“Don’t what?” the doctor frowned, visibly confused. 

“I know what I did and what I said, and it was the biggest mistake of my life,” Hux appealed to the engineer, not bothered in the slightest by the medic’s presence, “Please Korina, I know I have no right to ask you for anything,” the redhead looked pained, “But please, just give me a few minutes to explain as best I can.” 

The young woman scoffed, “Are you suggesting that a few minutes is all it will take for me to forgive and forget?” 

Dr. Verdi looked uncomfortable to be standing there in his own office, “Shall I leave, or...?” 

“No,” the engineer replied, “The General was just leaving.” 

Hux couldn’t stand to see the look of contempt on the young woman’s face as she spoke. 

The crushing rejection - that he deserved, and he knew it - had him turning and wordlessly exiting the doctor’s office, walking as fast as he could without breaking into a run, until he finally reached his quarters, where his emotional walls tumbled down around him. 

It was all too much - he sobbed, actual tears fell from his eyes, never stopping until his exhausted body surrendered to sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Much appreciated :)


	16. Second Chances

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got kind of sidetracked and this chapter turned out longer than intended - but I doubt anybody will complain about that! 
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy reading this story because I'm enjoying writing it.

Armitage Hux seldom dreamed, which wasn’t surprising given his sleep pattern, if you could call it that. He probably averaged around four hours a night, most of which was on the occasions that he made it back to his quarters and his bed before nodding off in his office as he pored over paperwork. 

_Much like his last dream, or what he had initially thought was a dream, the General was dreaming of Korina. He couldn’t place his surroundings, but he was in a light and airy building looking out over a garden full of trees, shrubs, and wildflowers that seemed to go on for miles._

_The redhead pulled his gaze away from the view when a noise further inside the building caught his attention. He followed the sound curiously, realizing the closer he got that it was a baby crying. Hux came to an ornate wooden door and entered the grand room, eyes drawn to the crib ahead of him, which he approached slowly before realizing that it was empty._

_Suddenly there was no more crying, causing a confused Hux to scan the rest of the room, noticing for the first time an armchair by some balcony doors. Sitting in the armchair was Korina, smiling lovingly as she rocked a baby in her arms. The General approached cautiously, halting his movements when the woman raised her head to look up at him and to his surprise, she smiled._

_He followed her gaze back down to the infant in her arms, unable to tell whether it was a girl or a boy, but equal parts fascinated and terrified by the baby’s appearance, which greatly resembled his own. The baby shared his pale skin and blue eyes, and sported tufts of red hair that closely matched his own copper hue._

_Another noise drew the General’s attention. Not a baby crying but a knocking sound, becoming clearer and clearer until..._

Hux jerked awake to find himself curled up on his couch. His uniform was wrinkled from moving around in his sleep and he was so disoriented that it took him a moment to realize that the knocking sound was coming from the door to his quarters. 

Stumbling to his feet and crossing the room towards the door, the redhead schooled his features into a look of annoyance, mentally preparing himself to reprimand whichever officer had deemed it necessary to disturb him at this late hour. 

What followed the familiar whoosh of the door opening had left the General to surmise that he must still be dreaming, because the person he found waiting on the other side of the door - was Korina. 

“You...you’re really here...” he murmured. 

“May I come in?” the engineer asked him, “You wanted to explain. So here I am - explain.” 

Hux nodded dumbly and stepped aside to grant her entrance. 

* * *

Korina had left the medbay with some very mixed feelings. 

She had not anticipated seeing the General that day, despite being aware that he would have received an appointment reminder from Dr. Verdi just as she had. It had seemed bold enough of the redhead to turn up at the quarters she shared with Mina, and it seemed unlikely that he would make an appearance in the semi-public setting of the medbay. 

Of course, she had been mistaken, and his desperation to speak to her seemed to have blurred the solid line that had always kept his work and personal life separate. 

The engineer was making her way back to her shared quarters when a childhood memory suddenly came flooding back to her. 

She must have been around six years old since it was before her mother died. The engineer vaguely recalled a disagreement she had with another child - a young boy who had refused to let her join in his game because she was a girl. Young Korina had run home and tearfully recounted the boy’s words before listening intently to her mother, who whispered gently as she wiped away the tears from her daughter’s cheeks. 

_“Ask him again if you can join in the game.”_

_“But he already said no,” The young girl had pouted, “Why should I ask again?”_

_“Everybody deserves a second chance, my darling,”_ her mother had said, _“You just have to offer them one.”_

The engineer couldn’t recall exactly how that had turned out at the time, but the sentiment of her mother’s words had stuck with her over the years, and she had been fortunate enough to be offered a second chance of her own. The chance that Bellis had offered her when she had suddenly found herself an orphan at the age of seven. 

Life on Jakku was not particularly pleasant for anybody but it was much worse for a lone child. An orphan of Korina’s age would almost certainly be forced to scavenge for scrap in return for food, and that was preferable to the equally likely scenario of being sold into slavery. Her second chance at a childhood had been a blessing. 

You could say that she was offered a second chance of sorts when she had encountered Mina at the shipyard all those months ago, leading to Lieutenant Shif offering her a position aboard the Finalizer. Had that not occurred perhaps Bellis’ fears would have been realized, and Korina would have ended up like Zeelia, selling her body to survive. 

By the time she had made it back to the quarters she shared with Mina the engineer had made a decision, spurred on by her late mother’s words and Hux’s appearance at the doctor’s appointment. 

Korina was somewhat relieved to find the corridors almost empty as she made her way to Hux’s quarters. That was why she had waited until a late hour to leave her quarters, wary of being seen roaming the ship, especially the closer she got to the hallway leading to the fancier dwellings occupied by the higher ranking officers. She hadn’t been there since the events following the Officer’s Gala. 

She kept her pace brisk as she approached the General’s door, devoting a moment to straighten up her appearance and collect her thoughts, adopting a calm yet strong demeanor before knocking on the door in front of her. There was no answer and no sound of movement inside. The engineer knocked again, silently cursing the fact that she had made the long journey to his quarters and he wasn’t even there. A set of harder knocks followed, again unanswered. 

Korina was about to leave for the General’s office in hopes of finding him there when there was some movement from inside the redhead’s quarters. Several seconds passed before the doors slid open to reveal Hux, who looked different to how he did earlier on in the medbay. 

The man had obviously been asleep judging by his creased uniform and slightly disheveled copper locks. What caught Korina’s attention was his face. The normally pale smoothness of his skin was now home to some redness and blotchy pink areas, and his blue orbs still displayed dark circles underneath them. His eyes were also rimmed with redness. 

_‘Has he been crying?’_ she asked herself. 

Another assessment of Hux’s face revealed faint trails of dried tears running from his chiseled cheekbones to his jawline. Korina did her best to hide the surprise and fascination that stemmed from this new evidence. She had never imagined a scenario in which the General would cry, much less over the engineer and the life she now carried. 

The redhead was visibly shocked to see her there. She heard him mumbling words of disbelief before a blush spread across his face, obviously uncomfortable to have anybody see his vulnerability. 

The engineer wasn’t sure if he’d registered her asking if she could come in. It was difficult to tell when he was staring at her as if she were a ghostly illusion and not really standing in front of him at that moment. 

With a nod of confirmation the man stood to one side and gestured for her to enter his quarters. 

* * *

“Take a seat,” the General nodded towards the grey couches that formed the centerpiece of the living area, “Can I get you anything? Some tea, maybe?” 

“No, thank you,” Korina replied, patting the spot beside her on the couch, “Let’s talk.” 

Armitage exhaled a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. This was going to be difficult and embarrassing, and painful. But there was no other option now that the young woman was granting him a second chance, one he probably didn’t deserve, but perhaps confiding in her would allow her to understand why he acted the way he did. 

“Korina, I know that you don’t want any more apologies, so I’m not going to tell you again how sorry I am, but I hope that what I have to say will offer you some insight into my unacceptable and quite frankly, unforgivable behavior.” 

“Okay, I’m listening,” the engineer nodded, looking on expectantly, “Take your time.” 

Hux took a seat on the couch beside her, wringing his currently un-gloved hands nervously, “Well, it’s probably easier to start at the beginning...” 

The brunette woman said nothing but offered an encouraging smile, prompting him to continue. 

“My childhood was not a happy one. I’m _literally_ a bastard, the result of my father’s fling with some kitchen woman. Unsurprisingly, my stepmother held no affection for me, since my existence was an unwelcome reminder of her husband’s infidelity. Things only got worse as time went on. My father did eventually acknowledge me as his son, although it wasn’t some show of paternal feeling, but rather the fact that there was no use in hiding an infant whose features left little doubt as to who had fathered him.” 

“What happened then, when he accepted you as family?” Korina inquired softly. 

“My father was a respected military man and many people admired him, but behind closed doors he was incredibly abusive, both physically and emotionally. He punished me a thousand different ways for any perceived wrongdoing. I had grown to expect it, resigned to the fact that even if I performed every task perfectly there would still be some excuse to beat me, sometimes fists but that began to include whippings with his belt and burning my skin with the end of his cigarette.” 

Hux raised his eyes from his hands to find the young woman wearing an expression that he couldn’t completely identify. She remained silent so the redhead continued. 

“When it became apparent that my stepmother couldn’t bear children I became my father’s only heir, destined to follow in his footsteps. My father’s abuse continued. He constantly called me useless and weak, and he used the excuse of toughening me up to somehow justify his abuse. After a while I realized that nothing would ever be good enough for him, and I would remain the disappointment that I had always been.” 

Korina listened intently. Things were already becoming clearer. 

The General shook his head slowly, “By the time I graduated from the Academy I had achieved top marks in pretty much every area, but that wasn’t good enough, nor was it good enough when I climbed the ranks at an impressive rate. Nothing has ever been good enough. The prospect of being a father myself terrified me, and still does, because I don’t know if I can ever be enough. Korina, I don’t want to be like my father. The idea of my own child suffering as I did...” 

The engineer’s hand covered his own. 

“Hux, you won’t be like your father,” she assured him, “I wish you’d just confided in me, but I understand why you didn’t. Just don’t keep your worries to yourself anymore, please.” 

“Regardless of my misguided reasoning for the way I treated you, I do understand that it won’t earn me your forgiveness, and I won’t ask for what I don’t deserve. But do you think we could spend some more time together, in preparation for all these pregnancy things happening?” 

“You know, Hux, that’s a good idea,” Korina agreed, “We could obviously benefit from getting to know each other better, and hopefully avoid any more misunderstandings. How would you feel about regular meetings?” 

“I have no objections,” the General replied, "How about tomorrow evening?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! :)


	17. Not A Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not getting this chapter out sooner - I'm frustrated too!   
> Good news is that the next one is in progress right now and should be up either later today or tomorrow. 
> 
> The chapter is another one that's kind of setting up the action for the next. 
> 
> As always, thank you for reading and sticking with me! :)

It felt like a weight had been lifted off the General’s shoulders following his late night visit from Korina. The opportunity to divulge some of his deepest fears as well as the root of such feelings had granted him such relief that he had even managed to get a decent amount of sleep. 

The young woman’s reaction had not been what he expected, although he had been shocked enough that she had gifted him a second chance, an opportunity to explain - or at least attempt to, seeking him out and listening without judgement as he recounted tales from his broken childhood. 

She had simply sat and listened as Hux recounted his deep rooted fears, only interrupting with the odd question or a gentle prompt for him to elaborate on something, although on occasion he had found himself either unable or unwilling to delve into further detail, but Korina seemed to pick up quickly on which topics she should avoid, at least for now. 

She had not spoken a word about the visible evidence of tears that he had shed prior to her arrival. 

When the evening became too late he insisted on walking her back to her quarters. She had thanked him for the gesture but assured him that accompanying her halfway was enough, and they parted ways with a friendly nod and smile, back on good terms. 

Feeling fresh and revitalized after his morning shower, the General retrieved a clean uniform from his dresser and laid it out on his bed, smoothing over a non-existent crease on the sleeve of his jacket. Turning around to close the dresser he caught sight of a familiar red garment; Korina’s dress. If he had remembered last night that he still had the gown he would have returned it to her. 

Never mind, she would be visiting his quarters again tonight. He’d return it to her then. 

After slipping into his uniform, sans cap and greatcoat, Hux turned his attention to the closet, pulling open one of the doors to reveal the full length mirror on the other side. 

For as long as he could remember the redhead had harbored insecurities over his body. His father had always been ready to criticize his son’s slim frame and pale complexion, which seemed to serve as evidence of the younger Hux’s weakness and inferiority. The shame was only made worse by the plethora of scars and burns that Brendol Hux had inflicted upon his son. 

As General of the First Order - and somewhat of a perfectionist - he held the appearance that he projected to his subordinates in high esteem. So every day before he set foot outside his quarters, Armitage Hux pulled out the mirror that he deliberately kept out of sight and braved his reflection in order to scrutinize his appearance, taking care that any flaw was identified and corrected. 

Today he was satisfied that no adjustments were needed. The charcoal uniform sat neatly on his shoulders and the shirt was firmly tucked into his military breeches, which in turn were tucked into his perfectly polished boots. The rank and First Order insignia on his sleeve were perfectly aligned and his collar and cuffs were stiff and free of creases. 

His leather gloves elegantly clung to his long slender fingers as he reached up to assess the state of his freshly combed and styled hair, taking care to make sure that every copper strand remained smoothly in place. 

Nodding his head in approval the General closed the closet door and hid away the mirror once more. He picked up his datapad from his bedside table, as well as Korina’s dress, and went into his living area where his cap and greatcoat hung neatly on the wooden rack by the entrance of his quarters. 

Before leaving for his shift on the bridge he placed the neatly folded red dress on the nearest couch in anticipation of its owner’s visit later that evening. _‘At least that way I won’t forget.’_ he told himself as he activated the door panel and walked out into the corridor, feeling more positive than he had in weeks. 

* * *

Nursing a fresh mug of caf in her gloved hands, Mina leaned against the counter of the tiny kitchenette in the quarters she shared with the engineer. In reality it was little more than a small counter space that housed a sink, hob, and kettle, with room underneath for a small refrigerator. 

“So, is tonight your...third date?” the Captain took a sip of caf, “I’d tell you not to rush into sex, but...”

“It’s not a date. We’re not dating,” Korina frowned, “We’re just getting to know each other.” 

“Kinda sounds like a date,” he roommate shrugged, “You visiting his private quarters at a late hour to talk about yourselves and then him walking you home like a gentleman.” 

“Okay, he did not walk me all the way home,” the brunette corrected her roommate, “And there was no lingering, no goodbye kiss. Not even a hug.” 

“You sound disappointed.” 

Korina frowned, “I’m not disappointed, and I don’t have any romantic expectations.” 

Mina had been understandably concerned about her roommate seeing Hux after everything that had transpired recently, but the engineer’s positive change in demeanor had put her mind at ease. Plus, the blonde was aware that despite his pre-parental panic the General was a smart man, and she was confident in the belief that he was not foolish enough to make the same mistake twice. 

“Okay, new topic - how many of those things did you eat?” 

Korina was now in her seventh week of pregnancy and her food craving seemed to be the fruity green pudding served in the canteen. A few days earlier, with her roommate still in a state of emotional turmoil due to the Hux situation, Mina had somehow managed to obtain several individual pots of the stuff, hoping that the gesture would be comforting. 

“Two last night, one during the night when I got out of bed to pee, and this is my second one in the past half hour,” the engineer replied, using a spoon to scrape as much of the fruity delight as possible from the container, “This baby is doing weird things to my body.” 

“It’s only gonna get weirder,” Mina informed her roommate, “Those pregnancy books from the library make for a very interesting read.” 

Korina laughed, “Don’t fancy doing this yourself then?” 

“I’m in no rush, and besides, I don’t have any romantic prospects onboard.” 

“Really? Not even Mitaka?” the brunette raised a brow teasingly. 

It had been apparent to Korina from her first month aboard the Finalizer that nervous Lieutenant Mitaka had something of a soft spot for Mina, unable to disguise a blush whenever they crossed paths, but always making the effort to greet her in the canteen during the odd shared lunch break. 

“No, not gonna happen.” 

Mina didn’t dislike the Lieutenant, he was pleasant enough, but he didn’t entice her as a romantic partner. She had managed to avoid running into him at the Officer’s Gala, not wanting to elevate his hopes by accepting the offer of a drink or a dance, which was probably why she was too distracted to notice her roommate getting cozy with the General. 

“Okay, time for work.” Korina eyed the time, fastening her overalls before grabbing her datapad. Luckily her work attire was on the baggy side and wouldn’t show a pregnancy for a while, but it crossed her mind that at some point she might require a larger size, assuming she was still able to work by that point. She was hopeful that she could get to the six month mark before having to go on maternity leave. 

“Yeah, there’s not long til my shift,” Mina agreed, looking up at her friend and breaking into a smirk, “Hold on, don’t go anywhere yet,” the blonde reached up and wiped away a dot of green at the edge of Korina's mouth, “Can’t go to work with pudding on your face!” 

_‘No, especially if I were to run into the General...’_ the engineer thought to herself, ignoring the nervous excitement building in anticipation of her next visit with the redhead. 

* * *

After a relatively uneventful shift on the bridge, no doubt made easier by the absence of Kylo Ren, the General returned to his quarters with around an hour to spare before Korina’s arrival. He could do with a snack after skipping lunch, but he was pondering the idea of cooking dinner for himself and the engineer. 

It seemed like a pleasant gesture. It was apologetic, even though she had assured him that there was no need for any more apologies, but also could serve to show her yet another part of his personality that wasn’t the hardened General. Of course, he didn’t want to seem too presumptuous, so he could always tell her he was making his own dinner and offer her some. 

He had second guessed himself during the walk back to his quarters the night before after seeing Korina partway home. It seemed like a reasonable thing to do, accompanying a young lady through the ship at such a late hour, and he’d been polite in his words and actions. But he had momentarily worried that the situation may seem unnecessarily romantic. 

Granted, they’d parted with a nod and not a kiss, but there was a certain romantic undertone to the situation. Or perhaps his head was playing tricks on him, taking advantage of his confusing feelings towards the young woman. 

The redhead had just hung up his greatcoat when his data pad chimed, drawing a frustrated groan from him as he retrieved the device from his pocket to see who was bothering him now that he was off shift. 

It was Admiral Bavar - someone who never usually bothered the General with anything and so he opened the message. It was brief, with the older man informing Hux that he had some paperwork that required approval by the following day. 

**General Hux -** **Weapons assessment paperwork requires your approval. Deadline tomorrow at 09:00 hours.**   
**Permission to send an officer to deliver the paperwork to your quarters now?**

The General groaned and rubbed his temples, cursing Ren and his vandalism for distracting him from following up on the paperwork, knowing he was intending to look over it the morning that he was forced to address the repairs and such for damage caused by the Force user. 

_‘Even when he’s not here I’m cleaning up after him!'_ Hux thought angrily as he typed out a quick reply to confirm that an officer could deliver the paperwork to him now.

He still had time before Korina was expected, and the sooner he completed the relevant items the sooner he could focus on spending his evening with the mother of his child. 

Hux had just put some vegetables on the hob and prepared some other foodstuff for dinner when he heard the knock at his door. Placing the spoon he was using back down on the kitchen counter the General made his way to the door and pressed the door panel. The door immediately slid open to reveal an officer with an armful of paperwork. 

“General, Sir, here are the weapons assessment forms from Admiral Bavar.” 

“Thank you, that will be all Lieutenant...” Hux saw the rank first before looking at the officer’s face, and he hadn’t been particularly aware of the female voice, but now he found himself face to face with the woman who had unwittingly turned his world upside down, as well as that of Korina, “... _Stobek_.” 

The Lieutenant smiled almost smugly, “Thank you, General.” 

“Dismissed.” Hux added when the woman seemed to linger for a moment. 

Lieutenant Stobek saluted her superior before taking her leave, striding down the corridor with confidence, although inside she was seething...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! :)


	18. Something Brewing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's the continuation of the previous chapter!  
> Apologies for any mistakes I may have missed while editing, but it's 3AM here and I'm ready to sleep! 
> 
> Some interesting stuff happening in the coming chapters...

Lieutenant Jynna Stobek was struggling to decide whether she was more angered or simply appalled by what she had just witnessed. It had certainly disturbed her. 

As she had stood in front of the General’s quarters her gaze had drifted just past the redhead to rest on a grey couch, although it was not the furniture itself that had caught her attention, but rather what she had spotted on one of the cushions. 

Initially thinking it was a pillow, the shimmering material had struck her as an odd choice of decor for such a serious man, before realizing that the red bundle was actually an item of clothing. 

The red material was strangely familiar to Jynna, and it took a couple of seconds before she realized why. Much to her horror, the garment was exactly the same material as the dress worn to the Officer’s Gala by her nemesis, the engineer. What reason could there be for the General being in possession of Klovell's dress aside from the obvious implication? 

Had it really been General Hux who had spent the night with the engineer following the Gala, and if so, why would a man of such importance and propriety sully himself with that common whore? 

_‘Well, I wasn’t wrong when I said that Klovell had managed to whore herself up the ranks.’_

The General was an educated military man with impeccable standards. The idea that he would willingly associate with that scum outside of a work environment, let alone allow her to share his bed, was absurd! 

As far as Stobek was concerned, men like General Hux were ideally suited to women like her; a proud military officer with imperial roots. Somebody whose staunch allegiance was to the First Order, and whose impressive lineage would produce genetically superior children to continue their legacy. 

That engineer was tarnishing more than just the Finalizer. 

Klovell was compromising the integrity of the First Order. She was going to pay for this, Stobek would not stop until she was rid of the engineer.

_The sooner the better._

* * *

With five minutes to go before Korina’s arrival, the General checked on the food that he had been cooking, having left it to simmer while he changed out of his uniform and into a loose pair of black jogging pants and a matching long sleeved sweater, abandoning his boots in favor of a pair of simple grey slippers. 

He was still a little rattled by his unexpected encounter with Lieutenant Stobek less than an hour earlier, but he had managed to look over and complete the paperwork in good time, taking the opportunity to create a more relaxed environment for Korina. 

Right on time there was a knock at the door. 

The door slid open with a squeak that Korina reminded herself she would offer to fix at a later date, but for now she couldn’t help but smile at the General, who looked surprisingly relaxed in his casual clothing. 

The last time she’d seen him in something other than his uniform had been the morning after the Officer’s Gala when she’d seen him in nothing at all. Of course, at the time she had also been naked, which was something that still brought a blush to her face almost two months later. 

Korina herself had spent good half hour or so deliberating whether to remain in her uniform sans overalls, or to change into something a little more comfortable. She had eventually opted for the latter, and she was satisfied that she wouldn’t look too out of place in her First Order gym clothes, consisting of some black leggings and a long sleeved t-shirt. 

“Come in,” the redhead gestured for her to enter his quarters, “Have you eaten?” 

“Yes and no.” Korina shrugged, unsure if she was going to be quizzed about the healthiness of her pregnancy diet, which as of late consisted mainly of pudding.

The General raised a brow in confusion, “I’m not sure I understand that answer.” 

“Yes, I have eaten something,” the engineer clarified, “But it was not the most healthy or filling choice.” 

Hux didn’t question that reply, instead gesturing to the kitchen area, “I was just cooking my dinner. Would you like to join me?” 

“Well whatever that is smells amazing,” Korina smiled as she inhaled the warm, comforting aroma, “I’d love to try it if you’re sure you can spare some.” 

“That can certainly be arranged,” the redhead replied with the hint of a smile, “And you don’t have to call me ‘General’ when we’re alone in these quarters.” 

“What shall I call you instead?” Korina inquired. 

He paused for a moment to consider this before replying, “Armitage, my name is Armitage.” 

The brunette smiled, “Okay then, Armitage.” 

* * *

After a pleasant dinner the expectant parents sat down in the living area and made themselves comfortable on one of the grey couches with two mugs of tea. Hux’s eyes drifted to the red garment on the other couch, prompting him to point it out to its owner. “I meant to return that sooner but I only remembered that I had it this morning.” 

“I’d actually forgotten about that,” the engineer replied, “Not that it matters since I wasn’t planning on wearing it any time soon. Who knows if it will even fit after I’ve gained some baby weight.” 

“Does that bother you, the idea of gaining weight due to pregnancy?” the General asked her. 

“No, not really. I guess it’ll just be weird to have a huge tummy since I’ve always been slight.” she shrugged, “We never had much food to go around on Jakku. I gained weight after a couple of months on the Finalizer simply due to having set meals with regular portion sizes.” 

It was true. Korina couldn’t recall ever going without food in all her years living with Bellis and the others back on Jakku, but she knew that whatever foodstuff they did have had to be shared between the five of them. 

“Whether it’s the extra meals or not you look very healthy.” Hux hoped she took that as a compliment. 

Apparently she did, and the General began to feel more relaxed as they developed a friendly rapport. The pair chatted about the pros and cons of various canteen foods for a few minutes until they fell into a comfortable silence. Korina broke that silence with a question directed at the redhead, “So, how are you feeling?” 

Hux wasn’t expecting to be asked that. In fact, nobody ever really asked him, “I’m well, thank you.” 

“Something on your mind?” Korina queried, taking a sip of her tea. 

“Actually I’m just a little shocked,” he explained, “Earlier this evening I had some paperwork delivered here, and the officer who turned up was Lieutenant Stobek.” 

“Oh?” the engineer looked up at Hux, “She doesn’t suspect anything, does she?” 

“No, I don’t think so. It was just unexpected seeing her. I found it difficult to remain indifferent to her presence when she still hasn’t slipped up about her little chemistry experiment yet.” the General sipped his tea. 

“Mm, I bet,” the engineer agreed, “But let’s not talk about her.” 

“Of course,” Hux offered a small smile, “What would you like to talk about?” 

Korina looked to be deep in thought for a moment, “We’ve had some heavy conversations recently, so for tonight how about we cover the trivial stuff?” 

“Trivial in what way?” he asked her, leaning his long body back against the couch. 

“You know, stuff like favorite things - color, animal, weather, drink...” Korina shrugged as she rhymed off several topics. 

“Blue, cat, rain, bitter Tarine tea.” the General replied without hesitation. 

“Wow, that was fast,” she paused to mull over her own answers, “Green, cat, breezy, caf.” 

“Interesting. We both like cats.” Hux pointed out. 

“I always wanted one but I never had a pet growing up.” 

“Nor I,” the redhead added, “I’m not opposed to the idea of a pet cat though.” 

The General frowned confusedly as the engineer began to laugh, “What?” 

“I’m just...trying to picture you with a pet cat.” she grinned, brown eyes sparkling. 

“More difficult to picture than me with a baby?” Hux posed the question. 

Korina smiled as the image began to form in her head, “Hard to say, but we only have to wait another seven months to find out how you look with a baby.” 

* * *

Following her disturbing discovery earlier that evening, Jynna Stobek had finally finished her shift, and instead of heading back to her quarters she had made her way back in the direction of the General’s quarters. She wouldn’t be able to get inside the area occupied by the superior officers, but she could wait by the entrance and observe, hidden out of sight in a dark alcove. 

She just had to confirm her suspicions, even if it seemed glaringly obvious now that she had connected the pieces of the puzzle. But after spending the remainder of her shift obsessing over the situation, she had concluded that she needed to be absolutely certain before making her next move in her mission to oust the engineer. 

It was late when the Lieutenant finally heard approaching footsteps - two sets of them. 

Jynna remained in her position, concealed by darkness as she stared in disbelief at the scene that was playing out in front of her eyes.

The General was walking side by side with the engineer. Neither of them were in uniform, although his greatcoat was present, likely just for modesty’s sake since he seemed to be in sleep clothing. Both appeared comfortable in the other’s company, and the redhead was even placing his hand gently to Klovell’s lower back as they walked. When they reached the corridor leading to the officer’s quarters the two appeared to part ways with a simple nod of the head. 

_But they lingered._

And then much to Stobek’s confusion and disgust, Hux reached out and took the engineer’s hand in his own, taking a step closer to the brunette in order to whisper something in her ear. 

Whatever he said was inaudible from so far away but it did draw a smile from the young woman. 

Jynna, however, could not wipe the frown from her own face. 

It didn’t make sense. Why would the General be acting so... _pleasant_ around that desert scum?

It was one thing to end up in bed together, but Hux seemed to actually enjoy Klovell’s company, looking at her with affection and even initiating physical contact with the brunette. 

It seemed Lieutenant Stobek was going to need a new plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! :)


	19. Vision of Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back again, and hoping to use the rest of the weekend to write more of this story so that you lovely people don't have to wait so long for updates. Thank you for sticking with the story. I appreciate it. 
> 
> Without further ado, here's the chapter. :)

While the idea of fatherhood was no less terrifying, Armitage occasionally found himself experiencing the odd spark of nervous excitement. It seemed to enhance the anticipation he already felt ahead of his child’s arrival, despite the fact that there were still months to go before the baby’s birth. 

Every night before sleeping the General indulged himself with thoughts of his unborn child, casually pondering whether he would have a son or daughter and what they would look like. His mind conjured up images of his red hair and pale complexion matched with Korina’s brown eyes and straight nose. 

It could be the opposite, but it was fun to think about, and his little imagines happened to coincide with his improved sleep pattern. 

Hux had always been an early riser, likely due to his military upbringing, but he was awake and out of his bed with an extra burst of energy today - even before his morning caf! 

Having missed the previous appointments with Dr. Verdi - because he had been so cowardly - the General was looking forward to accompanying Korina for her usual routine checkup later on that day. Although they were on good terms now he felt it was beneficial for the engineer to see that he was making an effort to be as involved as possible. 

Having both Mina and Phasma in on it had made the pregnancy suddenly more real to both parents. The General had not crossed paths with Korina’s roommate since she had, quite rightly, scolded him for his behavior towards the engineer, although the pregnant woman had assured him that the blonde had calmed down considerably since that interaction. 

Regardless of her roommate’s change of mood and altogether improved opinion of Hux, Korina had agreed that it made more sense to continue meeting in his quarters, especially since the expectant parents had made plans to have dinner together at least once a week. 

The troublesome Lieutenant Stobek seemed to be keeping a low profile since the evening she had delivered the Admiral’s paperwork to Hux. He couldn’t help but think back to the way she had lingered outside his quarters. For the briefest of moments the woman’s smug facade had slipped, giving way to something that seemed almost shocked or afraid. 

The General had been a military man for long enough to remain guarded and keep his wits about him, so when Korina had mentioned at their most recent ‘date night’ - as Mina apparently referred to them - that she had not run into Stobek for a few days, his suspicion had been aroused. 

Not wanting to cause unnecessary distress to the mother of his child, he had kept those suspicions to himself, but made it clear that Korina should avoid engaging with the Lieutenant if possible. The engineer was enjoying the absence of her tormentor, and so she had been more than happy to agree with him. 

* * *

Korina felt bloated and tender. Her tummy was slightly distended, and although she had initially put it down to weight gained as a result of her increased pudding consumption, the engineer was both surprised and disappointed to discover via one of the pregnancy books that it was perfectly normal to begin showing at this point. 

It was currently her ninth week of pregnancy and Korina was already having difficulty remembering a time when she wasn’t making so many spontaneous trips to the bathroom. 

There were so many occasions where Mina had been interrupted while using the shower or just brushing her teeth that the blonde woman had eventually opted to use the refresher when her roommate was at work, or else she would use the facilities at the gym down the hall. 

Today she would be free to use the refresher in their shared quarters, if only for an hour or so while Korina and Hux attended a doctor’s appointment. 

* * *

Meanwhile, Lieutenant Jynna Stobek was feeling somewhat satisfied. 

After several days of careful consideration, and seemingly more studying than she had ever done at the Academy, she had formed her new plan to eliminate the woman that she now hated more than ever. The disappointing results from the orcasite root - and the hassle of having to obtain it from a healer on Naboo - had dissuaded her from trying anything similar, so the Lieutenant had opted to try a different approach, some would argue a simpler approach. 

It made sense. 

Korina was an engineer. Engineers fix things around the ship. It was a dangerous job, easy to get injured during a repair, especially with all those heavy tools and live electrical wires. Making a few minor adjustments to machinery wouldn’t be too difficult, but it would be difficult to ensure that the engineer who arrived to perform the repair was Klovell. 

The solution was a little riskier but had the potential to succeed. 

Jynna would find a way to determine the engineer’s location on the ship, probably by gaining access to Officer Gil’s office where he hopefully had a list of repairs and who he would be delegating them to. Once she had the location she could set up a minor repair job in the area, making it most likely that Klovell would be asked to fix it due to her proximity to the problem. 

All that she needed was for the engineer to have a little _‘accident’_ and the rest would be a piece of cake. 

Of course, after the last occasion it made sense to have a backup plan.

It wasn’t physically dangerous, but the Lieutenant hoped that what she had in mind would weaken her opponent and help to tip the scales in her favor. 

* * *

“Nice to see you both today.” 

Dr. Verdi’s soft smile twisted into slight discomfort as he realized that his greeting had the potential to be taken the wrong way, especially after the last appointment. 

The expectant parents did not seem to notice anything amiss with his greeting, much to the medic’s relief, and the appointment continued with no hint of the tension that had occupied the doctor’s office just a couple of weeks previously. 

The fearsome redhead sat in the chair next to the engineer, poised and intimidating as always, at least whenever he was in full uniform and therefore already prepared to command. Dr. Verdi didn’t dislike the General, but like some he found it uncomfortable to be around him in certain situations. 

After a detailed conversation about things that Hux either hadn’t considered or never knew existed in the first place - although he had taken mental notes for conducting his own research later - the medic finished talking and gestured for the patient to move to the other side of the room. 

“You know the drill,” the doctor smiled as Korina hopped up onto the bed, “General, you can sit or stand, whatever’s more comfortable.” 

Hux had spent the majority of his time aboard the Finalizer avoiding the medbay. Whether it was for a split lip or broken bone, the General’s stubborn streak came out in force whenever somebody tried to coax him into seeing a medic, preferring to hide away in his quarters with painkillers and bacta patches that were included in all standard issue first aid kits on board. 

Not surprisingly, Armitage had zero experience of pregnancy and childbirth and only a basic knowledge of what to expect, though after discussing it with Korina he had made it a personal goal to read some of the literature that Captain Vane had sourced on the matter. 

He was thankful for the years of practice he had when it came to playing down or disguising his emotions. The unfamiliar territory already had him on guard, which was why he leapt from his seat the moment he saw Korina flinch and heard her gasp, preparing to tear into Dr. Verdi for causing the engineer any discomfort. 

“Are you okay?” the redhead asked, keeping his tone measured but failing to stop his eyes widening at the sight of clear gel on Korina’s stomach area. 

“I’m okay,” she assured him, “The gel is just cold.” 

“Okay, good.” Hux nodded absently, watching with quiet curiosity as the doctor began pressing something over the gel and over the engineer’s stomach. 

She didn’t look pregnant yet - at least that was Hux’s opinion, since her abdomen remained slim. If anything she simply looked a little bloated around the tummy area, not unlike you would after a large meal. He was still pondering how pregnancy would change her body when the doctor’s voice caught his attention. 

“Looks like someone’s grown again.” 

The General thought that sounded like a good thing, and based on a quick glance at the doctor’s expression he assumed that it was. Korina was smiling as Dr. Verdi pressed a few buttons on the console attached to the monitor above the bed. The redhead’s gaze drifted to the screen although he wasn’t sure what he should be looking for. 

“General, this right here,” the older man tapped the screen, “Is your baby.” 

Korina couldn’t decided where to look, enjoying the noticeable changes of her baby’s development since her last appointment, but also feeling her heart melt as she eyed the look of awe on the General’s face. He looked mesmerized, blue orbs never moving from the grainy shape that was their unborn child. 

Armitage Hux could appreciate the beauty in many things, from an attractive woman, to a planet’s native flora, and even to an expertly designed star destroyer. But there were no words for how strikingly beautiful this image in front of him now was. His child. A new life that was part him and part Korina. 

“Hey, you okay?” it was the engineer’s turn to ask him. 

The General nodded wordlessly, still transfixed by the image on the screen. 

“Now, I can’t make any promises,” Dr. Verdi began, “But at this point in the pregnancy I should be able to detect a heartbeat.” 

The expectant parents looked on with quiet optimism as the doctor began tapping away at the console and returned his attention to Korina’s exposed middle. It seemed like hours had passed before the medic finally located what he was hoping to find. The bespectacled man grinned as he adjusted the sound level. 

_'thump thump thump thump thump thump'_

Dr. Verdi looked to both parents as the sound echoed around the room, “Your baby has a nice strong heartbeat.” 

There was something profound in that moment, seeing and hearing the life that they had created, however unintentional the conception had been. Happy tears pricked at the engineer’s eyes as she cherished the sound of her baby’s heartbeat, switching her gaze to the side and feeling a sense of great affection for the man with whom she had created this tiny life. 

Hux flinched when he felt unexpected contact at his wrist and looked down to see Korina’s smile as she linked her hand with his gloved one. She squeezed his hand gently in a reassuring gesture as she gazed up at him. 

Blue eyes met brown eyes, and everything Hux had been unsure of suddenly became crystal clear. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! :) 
> 
> What do you think Stobek's backup plan might be?


	20. Strange Behavior

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! :) 
> 
> I'm enjoying writing the parts coming up soon.  
> There's a few things happening for Korina and Hux. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Captain Mina Vane was feeling the effects of having a pregnant roommate. 

As well as having her time in the refresher interrupted at random intervals, the blonde woman was now being informed that Korina’s newest symptom was an aversion to certain smells, and she was therefore banished to the canteen for breakfast to spare the engineer from the aroma of fresh caf and poached eggs. 

When Mina left their quarters her roommate was wrapped up in a blanket, drinking tea in the comfort of her bed. Officer Gil had messaged her earlier on to give her the day off, having less repairs needing done - probably due to a certain Force user’s absence - and knowing that she had covered a lot of repairs for other engineers on leave in recent weeks. 

It was still early so the canteen was only half full. Mina filled her tray with a mug of caf, some fruit, and some eggs before making a beeline for an empty table at the end of the room. 

She was almost done with her breakfast when a tap on the shoulder pulled her from her thoughts. 

“Oh, hello Lieutenant,” the blonde woman greeted Dopheld Mitaka, “Was there something you needed?” she asked him, hoping that he was not about to confess his feelings or ask her out. 

“Your roommate, the engineer,” the dark haired man spoke in hushed tones, “I think she may be in danger.” 

Mina shifted in her seat in order to face the nervous officer, “What do you mean, what sort of danger?” 

Lieutenant Mitaka pulled out the chair next to Mina and sat down, “Lieutenant Stobek, the one who has a grudge against your roommate - she’s planning something. I don’t know what exactly but I’ve noticed her behavior over the past few weeks, and just this morning I found this,” he discretely handed the blonde woman a folded piece of paper. 

Sparing a quick glance around the canteen to make sure that nobody was nearby, the Captain unfolded the paper with her gloved hands and took a shaky breath. It was a handwritten note with what looked to be instructions of some sort. Focusing her eyes on the slanted script in order to read it, the blonde woman’s eyes widened in recognition as she read the first line: 

_Instructions for the preparation and use of orcasite root._

Orcasite root - that was the same thing used to drug Korina’s drink at the Gala! 

“Where did you find this?” Mina raised a brow towards Mitaka, who shifted uncomfortably at her tone. 

“Well, when I was leaving my quarters I saw the Lieutenant tossing some things in the trash compactor, and I noticed that this slipped out of the bag she was emptying down the chute,” the dark haired officer explained, “I waited to see if she’d notice it on the floor but she walked off without seeing it, so I picked it up intending to pass it on to you or your roommate.” 

“Thank you for this,” Mina nodded, pocketing the refolded paper, “Be careful. Stobek is capable of hurting people who get in her way.” 

“Almost sounds like you care.” the officer made a noise that was halfway between a laugh and a wheezy cough. 

“I do care, Dopheld,” the blonde woman replied, “You’re a good friend.” 

Mina felt bad for having friend-zoned him, but she pushed away her guilt in order to go and find Hux. 

* * *

_‘Damn, where is Klovell?’_

Lieutenant Stobek tapped her foot impatiently as she approached the area of the ship that the engineer was expected to be working in around now. It had taken longer than she would have liked but Jynna had been able to access Officer Gil’s repair records. 

Luckily for her the officer who possessed the access codes for the engineering department was young and a little naive, and all it took was some flirting from the Lieutenant before he granted her access to Gil’s office, where some minor hacking revealed the scheduled tasks. 

Klovell was supposed to be repairing a control panel on this deck. That was the plan. The utility knife concealed within Stobek’s boot would be of no use if the engineer wasn’t nearby. It was pointless to risk being seen sabotaging First Order machinery if the desert whore didn’t turn up to fix it herself. 

Distant footsteps echoed down the corridor to Jynna’s left, growing louder as they drew closer and closer, until a figure rounded the corner...and much to her frustration it was not Klovell but an older male, dressed in overalls and carrying a tool kit. 

“Lieutenant.” he greeted as he walked past her, kneeling down in front of the control panel that was supposed to be Klovell’s job. 

Schooling her features into an expression of indifference and straightening her uniform, Lieutenant Stobek spun on her heel and began walking, turning down the same corridor that the male engineer had just emerged from. 

_‘Looks like it’s time for plan B.’_

* * *

“General Hux, Sir!” 

The fearsome redhead turned slowly as he heard footsteps rushing to catch up to him. He remained still as the blonde woman approached him, sensing immediately that whatever she had to say was not a First Order matter, but something to do with Korina’s situation. 

“Captain Vane,” he nodded curtly, “Perhaps this is a conversation for my office.” 

Mina didn’t have a chance to respond as the General turned and headed towards his office at the end of the corridor. Her shorter legs struggled to keep up with his long strides as he reached the door and tapped a code into the panel to the right of it. The door whooshed open and revealed the General’s office. 

“After you.” the redhead gestured for Mina to enter first. 

“Thank you, General.” she nodded. 

The door had barely sealed again when Hux addressed the blonde woman, “Is Korina okay?” 

The Captain nodded, “She’s in our quarters getting some rest since Officer Gil gave her the day off,” she paused to watch the tension in Hux’s shoulders drop away, “But I have just been delivered some evidence that you may be able to use against Lieutenant Stobek.” 

The General’s face twisted into confusion as he eagerly accepted the folded paper that Mina held out to him. She observed the man’s gloved hands gripping the paper tighter as his blue eyes scanned the writing on the page. 

“How did you come across this?” the redhead quizzed her. 

“Another officer happened upon it, Sir,” Mina replied, before continuing when she met his demanding gaze, “Lieutenant Mitaka.” 

“I’m impressed, but we still need more evidence.” Hux frowned, deep in thought. 

“Something that directly identifies her.” the Captain nodded in understanding. 

The General smirked, “If you see Mitaka tell him I have a special mission for him.” 

* * *

Nobody ever _chose_ to visit the General’s office. Unless it was Phasma or Ren, although the latter made an appearance only to taunt the redhead or throw one of his pathetic tantrums. Nobody but Hux and Phasma had access codes for his office - Ren used the Force but the General would never give him access codes anyway - so it was totally unexpected to enter his office towards the end of his shift and find it already occupied.

“Lieutenant Stobek, what are you doing here?” 

Jynna Stobek sat casually in the General’s desk chair, fixing him with an innocent smile. 

“This is inappropriate, Lieutenant!” the redhead exclaimed as he stood rooted to the spot. 

The woman leaned forward and rested her elbows on top of the desk as he approached. 

There were some harsh words on the tip of his tongue but they disappeared the moment he reached the desk. His new position had the General looking down on Stobek, who made no move to vacate his chair, allowing him a closer look at the woman - and what she was wearing. 

The Lieutenant smirked as she noticed his expression change. Approving of his shocked and confused gaze, she stood from his desk chair and revealed more of the cleavage that was peeking out from the gap in the garment that she wore, which was a black satin robe that ended at mid-thigh. 

“See something that you like, Sir?” she asked huskily, “Because there’s more on offer.” 

Before the man could form a response the Lieutenant untied the robe and let it slip from her shoulders to reveal a lacy black slip decorated with red bows at the base of the shoulder straps. Hux backed away a couple of paces as the barely dressed officer walked around from behind the table to stand in front of it. 

“Lieutenant, this is incredibly inappropriate.” Hux boomed, having shaken out of his initial disbelief and found his commanding voice. 

“Is that so?” she asked, not looking the least bit intimidated, “Is it frowned upon for you to fraternize with a young lady in your employ?” 

The redhead felt his blood boil as the corner of Stobek’s mouth quirked smugly. 

“Tell me, General,” the woman leaned back against his desk, “What does that engineer have that I don’t?” 

Hux stared daggers at the Lieutenant. 

She knew about his relationship with Korina, although how much she knew was unknown. He very much doubted she was aware that he or anyone else knew about the orcasite root. All of her plans so far had been to hurt the engineer, to humiliate and ostracize her, which could only mean that her intention was to seduce him and use it to cause distress to the brunette woman. 

The General retained his severe stance and expression while he anticipated what Stobek’s next move would be. What exactly did she _think_ his relationship with Korina was? The fact that she hoped to seduce the man in such a way suggested that she thought it was a sexual relationship. It hurt Hux and angered him more to think that the engineer was considered disposable, nothing more than a body to warm the General’s bed. 

“Listen _carefully_ , Lieutenant,” the redhead spat, “I’m giving you thirty seconds to cover yourself up and get out of my office - starting now!” when she made no move to do so, he added, “That is an order!” 

The Lieutenant finally followed his order, putting her gown back on and heading towards the office door, “You should be ashamed, General.” 

“For refusing your unwanted advances?” he quirked a brow. 

“You’re always talking about the First Order and how it’s going to be even greater than the Empire. You talk about demanding perfection and dominating those beneath us such as the Republic,” Jynna tilted her head to side in an almost mocking gesture, “And yet you show no shame, no disgust, towards _her_. What sort of impression do you think others will have of your precious First Order once they find out about the supposedly brilliant General stooping so low as to share his bed with a lowly engineer who was picked up in a desert junkyard like some common whore?” 

General Hux had no time to react before the woman was gone. 

A few moments later a call came through to the office. Hux accepted the call and broke into a small smile as an image of Korina appeared in front of him. She looked as if she’d just woken up, hair slightly disheveled and blanket wrapped around her shoulders. 

“Hi, hope I’m not interrupting your work, but Mina mentioned some evidence and I wanted to ask if we could meet tomorrow instead of the following evening?” 

“That’s absolutely fine. I’m glad you called, you wouldn’t believe what just happened...” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! :) 
> 
> On a scale of 1-10 how much do you dislike Stobek?


	21. New Developments

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a new chapter - can't believe we're past twenty chapters already!   
> You guys reading and leaving comments and kudos really keeps me motivated to keep writing. :) 
> 
> Fluff and feels coming up!

Korina awoke to the sound of water running, coming to the conclusion that Mina was currently occupying their shared refresher. It was a little later than her usual waking hour, but the engineer still had plenty of time to get ready for work, having freed up the time usually spent preparing breakfast. 

True to his word, Hux was embracing his role of father-to-be, even going out of his way to source some granola bars that suited the pregnant woman’s needs. Not only did the bars contain daily nutrients, but they were dry and easy to digest, as well as having no aroma that would affect her altered sense of smell. 

It was quickly becoming apparent to Korina that the redhead would be a doting father. 

When the General had told her about Stobek’s attempted seduction she hadn’t questioned it for a second, as if somewhere at the back of her mind she was aware of the possibility, after all she couldn’t rule anything out after the woman had resorted to drugging her. It actually made her pity the Lieutenant in a way. 

Korina wasn’t convinced that her tormentor had romantic designs on Hux. Or even sexual ones. He was essentially a pawn in Stobek’s quest to get some sort of reaction from the engineer, preferably causing her great distress or embarrassment. 

Getting out of her bed with a yawn and a stretch, the engineer pulled out her datapad and loaded the calendar application, having created one exclusively for pregnancy appointments and such. She smiled as she tapped today’s date and was alerted to the fact that it was the beginning of her eleventh week of pregnancy. 

Just one more week and she’d be onto her second trimester. 

The brunette was pulled from her thoughts by a gasp. Looking to the doorway of the refresher to see her roommate who was fully dressed in her uniform, cap and gloves included. 

“It happened!” Mina exclaimed, pointing at her roommate, “You popped!” 

Korina frowned as she followed her roommate’s gaze to her stomach area. Making her way past her roommate she stood in front of the floor length mirror, turning to the side and understanding Mina’s excitement. From her profile view the engineer had a noticeable bump, perfectly rounded and protruding outwards by just a little less than an inch. 

She placed her hand over the area and smiled at her reflection, “I thought it would be too early to see any difference.” 

“Probably because you were slim to begin with,” Mina suggested, before adding jokingly, “Lucky bitch.” 

“I’m going to surprise Hux with it tonight,” Korina decided, “If he sees me during the day it won’t show through my baggy work overalls." 

“Well if _this_ is any indication,” the blonde woman gestured towards the newly formed bump, “Then those overalls are gonna be getting pretty tight soon,” the Captain continued, “What are you going to do when it’s obvious that you’re pregnant?” 

“Hux and I have discussed it. I’m going to continue working for another few weeks then Dr. Verdi is going to sign me off on medical leave,” the engineer explained, “Hopefully by that time we’ll have managed the Stobek situation. After she’s dealt with we can go public with the pregnancy.” 

“Oh I _definitely_ want to be there when that happens!” Mina exclaimed, “It’s gonna be a big enough shock to everyone that you’re having a baby, so can you imagine their reactions to finding out who put that baby in there?” 

Korina frowned, scrunching her nose, “It sounds weird when you say it like _that_.” 

“Like what? I was being polite,” the blonde woman voiced with mock offence, “Would you rather I said that he ‘impregnated’ you? Or that he ‘knocked you up’?” the Captain smirked. 

“None of the crew need to know anything besides the fact that Hux is the father of my child,” the brunette shrugged, “It’s not like I’m gonna draw them a diagram to explain how it happened!” 

The Captain shrugged as she pointed out, “You can’t remember how it happened yourself.” 

“I can’t remember how we ended up in the General’s quarters,” Korina corrected her roommate, “One minute I was sitting at the bar and the next I was in Hux’s bedroom and we were on the bed and...” Thinking of that night stirred up something in the engineer. Not for the first time she found herself wishing for it to happen again, but the logical part of her brain reasoned that the effects of the orcasite root had given her a romanticized impression of what was, in reality, your average, alcohol-induced one night stand. 

She had never asked him outright but Korina assumed that Hux had his own memories of what happened on the night of the Officer’s Gala. He had consumed as much of the tainted beverage as she had, and the images of their intimate exchange were still clear enough in her mind two months later. 

“Okay then,” Mina interrupted, sensing her roommate’s change in mood, “I’m gonna head to the canteen now. See you at lunch?” 

“Yeah, see you then,” the engineer replied, turning her attention to her reflection once more. 

_‘Calm down, it’s just your hormones.’_ she told herself, pushing away any notion of romance between herself and the father of her child. 

* * *

“I have a surprise for you.” Korina informed the General as she entered his quarters that evening. 

She visited so often now that Hux had arranged to have her fingerprints scanned into his security system, allowing her access on the occasions that he was running late or unable to get to the door. It was a big gesture and the engineer knew it. Until now the only person apart from Hux and the housekeeping droids with access to his quarters was Captain Phasma. 

“Oh, and what would that be?” the redhead inquired, approaching from the kitchen area with two mugs of tea. 

He was dressed casually which was becoming more of a familiar sight for Korina, although he wore only dark colors and the most colorful thing she’d seen him wearing was a navy blue shirt. The long sleeved shirt and pajama bottoms he was wearing tonight seemed to make his figure look taller and slimmer than he already was. Placing down both mugs onto the coffee table, he sunk down into the couch and looked to the engineer expectantly. 

“Well, don’t leave me in suspense!” 

Korina held up one finger, gesturing for him to wait a moment as she turned her back to him and removed the sweater she was wearing, which happened to be one of Mina’s but was so loose and baggy that it almost reached the blonde’s knees. 

“Notice anything?” the engineer asked the redhead, standing on an angle that would best show off the newly formed bump that was gently straining against her black undershirt. 

The General was a smart man with a keen eye and it took him no more than three seconds to identify the difference in Korina’s body, blue eyes widening slightly as the corner of his mouth twitched up into a small smile. 

“When did you start showing?” he asked her, genuinely curious. 

“Mina pointed it out this morning so I guess it just bloomed overnight.” she shrugged before running a hand over the subtle curve of her tummy. She had done that a lot today. Two or three times she had found herself having to fight the urge to do so while outside of her quarters. 

“May I?” Hux raised a brow hesitantly as the brunette approached him. 

Korina nodded, standing in front of the General so that he could get a closer look at this physical evidence of their child growing inside the engineer’s womb. 

His hands were bare having removed his gloves and slipped them into the pocket of his greatcoat upon returning to his quarters, and he lightly traced his pale fingers over Korina’s tiny bump for a moment before gently laying his palm over the curve of her abdomen. The engineer’s breath hitched at the skin to skin contact, feeling strangely moved by Hux’s delicate touch and his look of almost fascination. 

“Thank you.” Hux breathed as he gently removed his hand from the engineer’s bump. 

“You don’t have to thank me,” she shrugged, “It’s your child too.” 

The General offered no response and for a moment there was a comfortable silence. When the brunette turned her head to break the silence she found the man’s intense gaze fixed on her. 

Hux found himself at a loss for words as he studied the face of the woman beside him whose expression held a similar sense of the longing he felt, both of them swimming in the feelings of affection that had grown as they bonded over their unborn child. 

The redhead’s azure eyes dropped from Korina’s brown ones to linger on her lips. 

Like magnets the two drew closer and closer to one another, both a little unsure of the other person’s reaction as their faces slowly inched towards each other, close enough for Korina’s warm breath to ghost across Hux’s face as his cologne invaded her senses. 

_‘He’s going to kiss me,’_ she thought to herself, _‘I want him to kiss me.’_

 _‘I’m going to kiss her,’_ Hux told himself, _‘I want to kiss her.’_

The chime of the General’s datapad startled them both. 

Hux’s blue orbs seemed to flit anxiously from the engineer to the device on the table beside him as if he were unsure of what to do, opting after what felt like an age - but was barely a couple of seconds - to break away in order to check the new message. The lingering tension in the air caused Korina scoot further down the couch, flustered by how badly she had wanted to feel his lips against hers and causing a heated blush to color her cheeks.

When she finally summoned the courage to look in the General’s direction he was frowning, not in anger or frustration, but what appeared to be sadness or disappointment. He gave a small huff before running a hand through his copper locks. “Is everything okay?” the engineer asked hesitantly. 

“I’m afraid I’ll have to leave the ship for a mission,” he sighed. 

“Oh,” Korina did her best not to sound disheartened by the news, “When will you leave?” 

“In three days’ time,” Hux replied before adding, “I’ll be gone for five days.” 

The brunette nodded slowly in response, her chest suddenly feeling weighed down by an emotion that she struggled to identify, triggered by the thought of a whole week without him. “I’ll miss you,” she told him, the words spilling from her lips before she realized it. 

The General reached out and took her hand, squeezing it reassuringly, “I’ll miss you too,” he spoke softly, “ _Both of you_.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! :) 
> 
> More adorableness happening next time!


	22. An Alternative Companion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter was delayed - I spent yesterday nursing a bad headache and couldn't see to type. 
> 
> This chapter is on the shorter side but it's setting up for the next parts. Enjoy! :)

Lieutenant Jynna Stobek was incensed. 

It had been a few days since her attempted seduction of General Hux and she was still in a state of frustrated disbelief. She had no actual attraction to the redhead, so it would not have bothered her to have her advances rejected by the man in any other situation, but the knowledge that he had spurned her in favor of Klovell was of the highest offence. 

It disgusted the Lieutenant. So much so that she was ready to vent her frustrations to anybody who would listen. But who would listen? For some reason the desert rat was well liked by most, based on the warm smiles, friendly greetings, and sincere thanks for speedy repairs that Jynna had seen directed towards the engineer. 

As for the General, he had the respect and admiration of his crew members, and the ones who felt differently were too intimidated to speak out against him, regardless of whatever questionable decisions he might make. 

And in Lieutenant Stobek’s opinion Hux’s willingness to pursue any sort of relationship with the engineer was beyond questionable. 

* * *

Dopheld Mitaka was feeling motivated. 

General Hux had given him orders to follow in his absence and the Lieutenant was determined to carry them out to the best of his ability, not just because the possibility of disappointing the fearsome redhead further intensified his anxiety. 

As luck would have it, Mitaka’s first opportunity to carry out the General’s orders came up as he headed back to his quarters after another stressful shift on the bridge, stepping into the elevator and finding it already occupied by his target - Lieutenant Stobek. 

_‘Okay, here goes.’_

Mumbling under his breath but still audible to the other occupant of the elevator, Mitaka gave a huff and schooled his features into what he hoped was a convincing look of annoyance, “It’s about time! How long does it take maintenance to repair these things?” 

“What did you say?” 

“Oh, sorry,” Mitaka did his best to look flustered, “Just talking to myself. I’ll stop now.” he added, lowering his gaze to the metallic floor of the elevator. 

“You said something about maintenance.” Stobek prompted. 

“It...it’s just that I had to wait for this elevator since the one I usually take is out of order, and I just thought...well, that it would be repaired by now since I’ve been on shift for a full ten hours. But I realize now that it was inappropriate for me to criticize the engineers and their work,” the dark haired officer deliberately stumbled over his words, “Please, don’t tell anybody I said those things,” he added, “I’d hate for my superiors to see such comments as an insult to the First Order.” 

Jynna’s face was impassive for a moment before she broke into a small smile, “Don’t worry, I share your feelings on the engineers,” the woman placed a hand on Mitaka’s shoulder, “My lips are sealed.” 

Lieutenant Stobek had taken the bait. Just in time too, as the elevator sounded it’s arrival on the man’s level. 

“Thank you, Lieutenant,” Mitaka nodded awkwardly, “Good talking to you.” 

Stobek watched as the perpetually anxious officer hurried from the open doors of the elevator. On any other day she would probably be annoyed or simply disinterested in her fellow Lieutenant, but after their brief conversation it occurred to Jynna that she may have found an ally in her efforts to oust Klovell. 

Mitaka was exactly the sort of person she could use. His timid nature would make it easy for Jynna to influence him, giving her a willing accomplice that would attract minimal suspicion should he carry out any ‘adjustments’ required. It was a stretch to imagine the anxious officer holding any malice towards the rebels, let alone another crew member of the First Order. 

_‘Things are looking up.’_ she thought as the elevator reached her destination. 

* * *

Two days had passed by in a flash for Korina and suddenly she was making her way to Hux’s quarters for their last ‘date night’ before his departure. The General was due to leave for his mission early the next morning. 

The prospect of a week without Hux’s company hit the engineer harder than she anticipated. They had already discussed how to deal with any trouble from Stobek in his absence, enlisting Mina, Phasma, and Lieutenant Mitaka to be on the lookout for any suspicious behavior, although the spiteful officer had been keeping a low profile since her plot to seduce the General had failed. 

She didn't voice her concern to him, but Korina was a little anxious that something might go wrong with her pregnancy while Hux was away, although her most recent appointment with Dr. Verdi had shown that everything was as it should be. With only a few days left of her first trimester the baby was growing at the correct rate and had a strong heartbeat. 

The engineer had a strong suspicion that if Hux had any inkling of something being wrong he would be marching her down to the medbay at a moment’s notice. The redhead was embracing the role of father-to-be with surprising enthusiasm, reading pregnancy books and taking an interest in Korina’s well-being, even down to sending reminders to her datapad whenever it was time to take her prenatal vitamins that Dr. Verdi had prescribed at their last appointment. 

Hux’s attitude towards his impending fatherhood had allowed Korina to imagine what he might be like once the baby arrived. 

Just a few weeks ago it had been ridiculous to imagine the man in a domestic setting, but now that she’d witnessed the man behind the borderline cruel facade that he reserved for insubordinate officers, the engineer had developed a clearer picture of what he might look like as a father. 

On the occasions when she had allowed herself to daydream Korina imagined the redhead pacing the floor with an infant at his shoulder, rubbing the baby’s back gently and whispering soft words that would lull them back to sleep. She saw Hux on his knees with his arms outstretched as he coaxed their child to take their first wobbly steps, sweeping them into a loving hug once they stumbled into his waiting embrace. 

Reaching the familiar entrance to the General’s quarters the brunette placed her hand over the scanner to the right of the door, holding it there for a couple of seconds before the display flashed green and the doors slid open. 

Crossing the threshold she couldn’t immediately locate Hux. “Hello, are you home?” 

“I’m just getting dressed,” came the redhead’s reply, “Had to have a quick shower.” 

Korina seated herself on the nearest couch, taking the opportunity to sink into the furniture and delighting in the way that the grey fabric of the cushions softly enveloped her tired frame. It had been a long day, not because there were any increase in repairs, but because the allocated tasks were spread out across the ship - and the Finalizer was a big ship. 

She never imagined that pregnancy could make her so tired. Despite working the same hours that she always had, by the time lunch rolled around she was ready to take a nap, and if she was close enough to her quarters she had done so once or twice. 

Korina didn’t notice the General’s approaching footsteps as she rested her eyes. 

“Comfortable?” Hux’s voice held a teasing tone. 

“Very much so,” the engineer replied, opening her eyes to see a sight that she had not expected. 

The General was standing just a few feet from her with a playful smirk on his face, but it wasn’t his face that her brown orbs had been drawn to. With damp hair from his recent shower, tousled and casually swept back instead of his usual slicked back style. His lower body was covered by black pajama bottoms and grey slippers, but his torso was partially exposed thanks to the black button-up that was only secured by two of the buttons. 

“Still feeling fatigued?” Hux arched an eyebrow, ignoring the way her eyes had wandered over his exposed skin. 

“What gave it away?” asked the brunette, punctuating the question with a small yawn. 

“Did you nap today?” he inquired. 

Korina shook her head, “Repair jobs were too far from my quarters.” 

“You’re welcome to use my bed,” the General informed her, “It’s probably more comfortable than the one in your quarters, and I’ll be away for the next week.” He offered the use of his bed so casually that the engineer was momentarily stunned. She was further taken aback by his next words, “And speaking of which, I have something to show you in the bedroom.” 

“Oh?” 

She would have said something else but her mouth was suddenly unable to form words. Instead she accepted the redhead’s offered hand and allowed him to assist her in getting up from the couch and leading her towards the door of his bedroom. “Wait here.” he told her, slipping inside the room. 

It was the first time she’d been anywhere near Hux’s bedroom since the day after the Officer’s Gala. She found it difficult to believe that it had been almost three months since the fateful night they had conceived their unborn child. 

When the General reappeared he beckoned her closer before speaking, “I’ve decided that I’d feel more comfortable about leaving the ship to know that you had some company in my absence,” Hux opened the bedroom door wider, “So I hope she’ll be a satisfactory companion.” 

“You got a cat?” Korina gasped, following Hux’s gaze to the bundle of ginger fluff on the bed.

“Yes, I did,” the redhead nodded, looking down at the sleepy feline, “I assume you’ll have no problem taking care of her while I’m away?” 

“It would be my pleasure,” Korina grinned as she perched herself on the edge of the bed, “What’s her name?” 

“Millicent,” Hux replied, “Although if you don’t like it I...” 

The engineer hushed him, “It’s perfect. Millicent. It suits her.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! :)


	23. Sleeping Arrangements

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter ended up longer than I expected so the next one will likely be a continuation of it.  
> Thank you for reading, commenting and leaving kudos, it's much appreciated. 
> 
> More fluff and Millicent for you all. :)

The General had been away for almost four days. 

Millicent had made herself right at home in Hux’s quarters and was proving to be a loyal companion to the pregnant woman. The ginger feline’s low purring had a soothing effect on Korina, easily lulling her to sleep within minutes of the cat curling up beside her on the bed or on the couch. 

For the first couple of nights after the General’s departure the engineer had stayed up for a while just playing with Millicent before bidding the feline goodnight and returning to the quarters she shared with Mina. The cat spent the majority of her time sleeping so didn’t seem to mind being left to her own devices so long as she was fed and her litter box was cleaned, and Hux had made sure that the housekeeping droids were programmed to do so in his absence. 

It had been a long day for Korina thanks to some repairs that took longer to complete than others. Mina had messaged her after lunch to say that she’d been switched to a late shift and not to wait up for her. Not wanting to be left alone and therefore more likely to think about the father of her unborn child and how much she missed him, Korina had made the decision to seek out Millicent’s company for the evening. 

The engineer had spent her evening lounging on one of the grey couches in Hux’s quarters. Using one hand to turn the pages of yet another pregnancy book and the other hand to pet a contented Millicent, the brunette lost track of time until she needed to relieve her bladder for what felt like the hundredth time that day. 

After returning to the living area Korina decided to make herself some tea. There was a familiarity in brewing her beverage since it was something that she and Hux would do on the evenings they spent in each other’s company, and the fact that she thought so fondly of those moments had her pondering once more whether her feelings for the General were deeper than she realized. 

There was really no need. 

She already knew in her heart and in her head that she was falling in love with him. 

But she dare not speak it out loud.

* * *

Much to Hux’s surprise his mission had taken far less time than expected and now he was sitting in a shuttle on his way back to the Finalizer. 

He had considered sending a message to Korina informing her of his early return but it was getting late, and if his assumptions were correct then the engineer would appreciate the surprise when she awoke in the morning. He had no doubt that she was being truthful when she’d told him that she would miss him. 

The past few days had allowed The General to focus solely on his mission, a welcome distraction from unraveling the tangle of emotions he felt towards the engineer who was carrying his child, especially when he often struggled with even the most basic of emotions. 

Armitage Hux had never been in love, and he had always doubted that anybody could love him in return. He’d never even known what it was to have a loving family, so it was unsurprising that he’d ruled out the idea of finding anybody who truly cared for him - why would they when his own family didn’t? Did such a person even exist? 

It had been beaten - sometimes physically - into him since childhood; loving and caring was weakness.Sometimes all he wanted was a hug, to be held, safe in another’s arms for just a while. He wasn't proud of it but on a couple of occasions, in his weaker moments, Hux had engaged in casual sex simply because he wanted to feel close to someone. 

Hux was well aware that he wasn’t the most endearing person, and while he couldn’t deny that it had benefited his military career, he wanted to be somebody outside of the First Order - more than just a General. 

Putting away his datapad the redhead brought a gloved hand up to rub his shoulder. Even a skilled sniper such as the General was not exempt from feeling the effects of firing a blaster rifle. But to him physical pain was nowhere near as excruciating as emotional pain. 

Armitage Hux had never been in love...but he thought he might be. 

* * *

“You up for a sleepover?” Korina asked Millicent. 

The ginger feline looked up from her spot on the couch and yawned, lazily stretching her entire body before following the engineer into Hux’s bedroom with a small noise of approval. 

The pregnant woman couldn’t help but giggle as the cat hurried past her into the room, paws padding softly across the floor before leaping onto the bed and looking expectantly to the brunette who had begun to undress. 

Korina hadn’t planned on spending the night, but she was so tired that she doubted she could make it back to her quarters without passing out in the corridor and it was not a risk that she wanted to take. In hindsight perhaps she should have kept a spare set of nightclothes there in case of a situation such as this, considering the fact that she had only the clothes she wore now, which were baggy and loose in order to disguise her developing bump. 

Despite the cooler temperature onboard the Finalizer the engineer found herself feeling a little warm. She had no qualms about sleeping in her underwear within the quarters she shared with Mina, but it seemed overly familiar to do so in the General’s bed, despite the fact that she had slept naked in that same bed three months earlier. 

“You’re not gonna complain, are you?” 

Millicent spared a glance up at the engineer before returning to grooming herself. 

Korina stripped down to her standard issue underwear before slipping underneath the cool black bed sheets, delighting in the way the soft fabric felt against her skin and burying her head into the soft pillows. The scent of caf, whiskey, and cologne invaded her nose, the reminder of the General both comforted her and intensified the longing she felt for his presence. 

The engineer’s brown eyes stared at the ceiling as she lay there. With Hux’s scent on the pillows and Millicent curled up beside her she felt a surge of emotion that she could barely contain. Tears escaped her eyes like water from a leaky faucet and for some reason she found herself shaking, not with sobs but with laughter. 

“Oh, Millicent!” she sighed, “What am I supposed to do?” 

She wasn’t expecting an answer from the feline but the question was genuine. Did she carry on like nothing had changed and ignore her own feelings? How would Hux even react if she confessed her feelings for him? Would he dismiss it as pregnancy hormones? 

They had almost kissed a few days ago but nothing had been said since. Neither of them had acknowledged the incident. Had they not been interrupted by Hux’s datapad would they actually have kissed? Would it have gone any further? Would they regret it now? 

Whether she continued to deny them or chose to reveal them, it was obvious that she could no longer lie to herself.

 _“I’m in love with General Hux.”_ she whispered into the darkness. 

* * *

The hangar was almost empty when the General’s shuttle landed, free of the usual hustle and bustle that came from the pilots and flight technicians crowding the area, indicating the late hour which was further evidenced by the silent corridors leading to and from the hangar. 

After a brief visit to the bridge to see that everything was in order the tired redhead bid the bridge crew goodnight and began the walk back to his quarters. Although it wasn’t too far to walk the deafening silence had Hux’s mind drifting back to Korina. 

They had almost kissed, the memory of a few nights ago played over and over in his mind, asking the questions which he had no answer to. Did she want him to kiss her? Did she want to kiss him? Would things have gone further if they had kissed? Although he knew it could just as easily be embarrassment, Hux fretted that perhaps Korina had not mentioned their almost kiss because she thought it was a mistake, a lapse of judgement. 

Reaching the door to his quarters, the General entered to the aroma of Korina’s favored tea, assuming that she couldn’t have been gone too long if she had brewed tea recently enough for the spiced fruit notes to still be lingering in the air. 

Removing his cap and greatcoat the redhead scanned the empty couches, deducing from her absence that Millicent must be sleeping on his bed, Taking a seat on the nearest couch while he took off his boots and gloves, Hux then tucked his datapad under his arm and made his way towards his bedroom. 

The General’s initial surprise and confusion at seeing somebody in his bed quickly dissipated upon seeing the engineer’s contented expression in the dim lamplight, mahogany locks splayed across his pillows as she slept soundly with Millicent curled up at the foot of the bed. 

_‘I should leave her to sleep,’_ Hux told himself as he went to switch off the lamp. 

Millicent had different ideas, springing from her position on the bed to greet her owner with a surprisingly loud _'meow'_ that had Hux doing his best to hush the feline lest the noise awaken the sleeping brunette. 

Attempting to coax the cat out of the bedroom for the requested attention had the unfortunate effect of diverting Hux’s own attention from where he was walking in the dim light, unable to silence the hissed curse that left his lips upon stubbing his socked toe on the bed frame. 

_“Hux?”_ Korina's groggy voice sounded. 

“I didn’t mean to disturb you,” he whispered, “My mission ended early so I...” 

The General’s explanation trailed off as he found his neck suddenly encircled by the engineer’s arms. It took him a moment to realize that she was hugging him and more than a moment to coordinate his arms to return the embrace, placing his hands on her shoulder blades and enjoying her warmth before freezing in place when he heard her gasp. 

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t expecting you,” she rambled, “The room was too warm for me.” 

Hux was about to ask what she was talking about, but the question answered itself as he pulled out of the embrace and eyed Korina’s anxious expression, realizing a moment later that her expression was that of embarrassment. The redhead’s gaze dropped and he realized why she would react that way. He offered a small smile and rubbed the tops of her arms reassuringly, “If you’re embarrassed because you’re in your underwear there’s no need.” 

“Really?” the engineer asked hesitantly. 

“Of course,” the General couldn’t help the smirk that crossed his features, “I’ve seen you in far less!” Korina was glad of the dim lighting because she was certain that a blush had colored her cheeks, "I’ll head back to my quarters.” she told him. 

“No, stay here,” Hux insisted, “I’ll sleep on the couch.” 

“You’ll be uncomfortable on the couch,” the engineer protested, “You’ve had a long journey.” 

“You’re tired and you need your rest,” he retorted, “The baby needs you well rested.” 

Korina frowned, “Do not bring our child into your argument.” 

“I’m sorry, but I’ll be fine on the couch,” the General assured her, “What else can I do?” 

“Sleep with me!” the brunette clapped a hand over her mouth, “I mean...we can go to bed together...no, that sounds wrong too,” she averted her eyes from his stunned expression. 

“Shall I just get into bed?” Hux queried, realizing that his compliance might remove some of the awkwardness. 

Korina nodded wordlessly. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! :)


	24. Seeking The Truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this chapter took such a long time to get posted. 
> 
> Unfortunately I've been suffering with jaw pain that I found out today is from a wisdom tooth that now requires surgery. Also, I got stuck so much writing this chapter. It has been rewritten at least three times and had parts completely taken out and I'm still not completely satisfied but I think it's as close to satisfied as I'm gonna be with it. 
> 
> Thank you for the comments - it's made me happy reading them and helped me not to give up writing this story. :) 
> 
> Hope you enjoy reading but I'm aware that it's not my best work.

Hux awoke first the following morning. 

Any awkwardness over their sleeping arrangements had quickly dissipated. Both parties were asleep within minutes, both physically and mentally exhausted from their days work and comforted by the warm presence of another body beside them. 

While Korina slept soundly Hux took the opportunity to observe her. The redhead took in the way her chest gently rose and fell with each even breath, her face untroubled and youthful, dusky pink lips ever so slightly curved into a contented smile. The General couldn’t help the smile that crossed his own features as his eyes drifted down to the brunette’s expanding bump. His child, their child, growing inside Korina at that very moment. 

He knew from reading the pregnancy books that it was still too early for any kind of movement or recognition to be detectable from the outside, but impulsively reached out anyway, bringing a hand to ghost over the engineer’s stomach. His warm palm caressed the curve of the exposed skin briefly before Korina began to stir. 

A sudden movement in the vicinity of the pillows brought Hux’s gaze back to the engineer’s face just in time to see her brown eyes blinking open lazily. “Hm, morning.” she yawned, rolling onto her side in order to face the redhead. 

“Good morning,” the redhead replied quietly, “Did you sleep well?” 

“Very well.” she affirmed. 

“Shall I make us some breakfast?” he asked her. 

Korina peered over Hux’s shoulder and squinted her tired eyes at the digital display of the alarm clock, trying to make out the time and whether she had any to spare before the rest of the day crew started waking up and moving around the ship. “Thanks, but I should probably slip out before anybody sees me.” 

Hux chewed on his bottom lip for a moment before speaking, “When the baby is born...” he shook his head, “I mean, when it’s nearer the time,” he paused before taking a deep calming breath, “Will you be moving out of your shared quarters?” 

“Well, no. I hadn’t planned to,” Korina frowned confusedly, “Mina was insistent that I stay and she’d help with the baby’s care,” the brunette shrugged, “Besides, where else would I go - back to Jakku?” 

The General nervously cleared his throat, “Actually, I was wondering if you and the baby would move in here, with me...” 

“Oh...I’m...I’m surprised,” she began to ramble, “Look, I’m really happy that you’re wanting to co-parent this baby with me, and don’t presume that I’m not grateful of this offer, but there’s going to come a point when my presence here is awkward for you.” 

Hux frowned. “I don’t follow...” 

As much as it pained her to admit given the depth of her own feelings for the redhead - even to herself, Korina put on a brave face and attempted to sound impassive, “I don’t mean to make assumptions about your personal life but a man of your rank is not expected to remain unattached for long. There’s often some whispers among the crew about high ranking officers entering into political marriages for the purpose of forming alliances and whatnot,” the engineer pushed down the hurt she felt at her next words, “I doubt your future spouse would want me around here.” 

Hux’s brow creased in a mixture of confusion and disappointment as the realization hit him - she thought that the baby was the only reason he wanted her around. It was obvious that she had no idea of his true feelings for her. He really should tell her - but not like this. So for now he settled for telling her a truth. 

_“I want you around here.”_

* * *

The General’s talk of their living arrangements had left Korina feeling confused. It had come out of the blue, none of their ‘date nights’ and dinners having covered the topic of where the newborn would be living, and it was a given that the baby’s mother would be the main caregiver due to the General being, well, the General, and the fact that the engineer nursing the infant would be far more convenient. 

It struck her as a little odd that a smart man like Hux, who had a plan for pretty much anything, would not have considered how his future relationships would be affected by the proposed living arrangements. 

Despite her attempts to ignore them, Korina had lay awake on more than one occasion torturing herself with thoughts of Hux being with anybody but her. The engineer imagined the kind of woman he would end up marrying - somebody who was everything that she wasn’t. It was irrational - she told herself, to feel envious of a woman she had never known and who may not even exist. 

But it seemed that every time she tried to stifle the flames of her feelings for the General they only ended up burning brighter. Perhaps that was how it was going to be, and the only way to extinguish those flames for good was to subject herself to the inevitable rejection by the father of her unborn child. 

There was a tiny corner of her heart that held on to the hope of Hux returning her feelings. Even if he did the General was unlikely to voice those feelings to the brunette, no doubt expecting rejection and ridicule to be her reactions. There was always a chance that he thought telling her now would seem to be prompted by her pregnancy and not based on any shared attraction. 

Korina sighed. 

As soon as the Stobek situation was dealt with - that was what the engineer had decided on.

She would confess her feelings to Hux, however awkward and risky a move she had to take that leap before the baby arrived, Korina had to know whether Hux saw her as a woman or simply as a mother. 

* * *

General Hux paced the bridge in the manner which his subordinates were accustomed to. Except this morning the fearsome redhead seemed amiable. It would be an overstatement to say he was happy, but the majority of the bridge crew had never seen him with an expression that wasn’t intense focus, blind rage, or great displeasure. 

For some that was a novelty but for others it only set their nerves on edge more than usual. 

Under different circumstances Lieutenant Mitaka would have been one of the latter. But based on his knowledge of what was happening in the General’s private life, the dark haired officer was satisfied that the redhead was pleased with the way the Stobek investigation was progressing. Of course, Mitaka would know if it were the opposite - especially since he’d be one of the first in the firing line. 

It had been a few days since General Hux had given the Lieutenant his mission and the officer had made some good progress. 

The General was a smart man, an observant man, and he had recruited Mitaka to his flagship because he knew his strengths and how to utilize them. The dark haired officer was a diligent worker whose skittish nature belied his wise, analytical mind and what he lacked in some areas was more than made up for in others. 

Lieutenant Stobek hadn’t suspected that her fellow officer was working to entrap her. 

Taken in by Mitaka’s placid personality and perceived naivety, the woman had been forthcoming in her opinions on the maintenance department, especially one particular female crew member who was _‘always disrespecting’_ the Lieutenant without reason. Of course, he knew it was a fabricated narrative made to twist herself into the victim of the piece, 

Just as the General expected of him, Mitaka didn’t give anything away too easily, knowing that mentioning Korina right away would likely ring alarm bells for Stobek. She had painted the engineer as the aggressor even though it was the opposite, therefore an allegation of experiencing the same treatment would not ring true and would uncover Mitaka’s status as a spy for Hux. 

Jynna had been counting on her fellow officer being easily persuaded, and Mitaka had known that from their first encounter in the elevator, hence the reason why after three days of sitting with Stobek for lunch in the canteen, the man had subtly reacted to her ranting about a certain engineer. 

“I _think_ I know the one,” Mitaka frowned as if trying hard to recall something, “Brunette, tall, sometimes hangs out with that short blonde Captain?” 

“Exactly!” Jynna exclaimed before her features twisted into a scowl, “She’s so rude, isn’t she?” 

The man pondered for a second as he finished the mouthful of food he’d been eating, “She’s never really spoken to me,” he shrugged, “I guess she must think I’m beneath her or something.” 

Mitaka knew before the words had left his mouth that the last comment would yield results. 

“She does!” came the reply, “I don’t understand why she’s still employed by the First Order,” Stobek rolled her eyes as she stabbed her fork into some vegetables, “Did you know she wasn’t even a trainee? Apparently she was found on Jakku by Lieutenant Shif. Jakku! That disgusting junkyard.” 

“Well, she’s still here,” Mitaka shrugged as he absently sipped some caf, “I’m surprised nobody’s put her in her place before now.” 

Stobek took the bait immediately. “Oh, I’ve tried to, _numerous_ times.” 

“Really?” the dark haired officer schooled his features into what he hoped was a mixture of confusion and curiosity, “What did you do, hide her toolbox or something?” he asked innocently enough. 

Jynna chuckled darkly, leaning further across the table in order to avoid being overheard, “I did more than just hide her toolbox. I tripped her on the stairs, locked her in a storage closet, I even hid rotten vegetables inside a console panel that fell on her when she opened it. And that’s not even half of all the things I’ve done to that desert whore.” She was grinning now, ear to ear, relishing this opportunity to confess to her nefarious deeds

“Wow, that’s pretty bad,” Mitaka played along, “But I guess not bad enough if she’s still here.” 

“Still here,” Stobek agreed with a huff, “Even after I slipped a little something in her drink at the Officer’s Gala.” 

The man did his best to look shocked, “What! You drugged her?” he asked, eyes wide and flitting around the canteen to make sure nobody was within earshot. 

“Yeah, I was hoping she’d go a little crazy and cause a scene.” 

“A scene? What kind of scene?” Mitaka inquired. He knew that one of the things the General hadn’t been sure of was what exactly Stobek had hoped to achieve by drugging Korina. 

“Something that would either get her fired or so embarrassed that she’d quit. I wasn’t too bothered about the specifics, I just figured that the Gala would offer the most opportunities for the plan to work, especially with the free-flowing alcohol and the important guests of the First Order present.” 

“Oh, time for my shift,” she told him as she eyed the clock on the wall, “Thanks for lunch. Hey, maybe you can help me out with a plan for next time.” She winked before standing from the table and heading out of the canteen to begin her shift. 

_“No, thank you,”_ Mitaka murmured as he ended the recording on his datapad. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! :)


	25. Long Time Coming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! :) 
> 
> I'm actually super happy with this chapter so fingers crossed you guys enjoy reading!   
> I think it's the longest one I've written so far and there's still a second part to come. 
> 
> Thank you to my readers. I appreciate the love this story's getting and it makes me so happy to read your comments. :)

It was a day like any other for General Hux. 

After his morning shift overseeing things on the bridge the redhead was now in his office, sitting behind his desk and attending to the all too familiar manifold of tasks to deal with. The General’s years of experience had allowed him to develop an efficient method of tackling his workload, beginning with the numerous messages on his datapad of which there were currently two hundred and seventeen, ranging from mission reports and invoices to requests for weapons and uniforms. 

The first thing that Hux always did was address the messages which had been tagged as _‘urgent’_ or _‘time sensitive’_ and today there were six of those. Opening the messages one by one, reading each before typing out and sending a relevant reply, the General frowned as a new message popped up on screen tagged as _‘urgent’_ and listing the sender as Lieutenant Dopheld Mitaka. 

Hux’s curiosity was piqued by this particular communication. 

The redhead tapped the screen of his datapad and waited for the message to load. He was momentarily confused to see only a couple of lines of text before noticing that there was an attached audio file. Mitaka’s message was brief but concise, informing his superior of a breakthrough in his mission and submitting the evidence to Hux. 

The General activated the lock on his office door before settling into his desk chair and opening the audio file, immediately recognizing the voices of both Mitaka and Stobek. The redhead placed his datapad on the desk and listened intently to every word that was said, somehow maintaining his composure as he heard the woman confess to drugging Korina with the intention of ousting the engineer from the First Order. 

When the recording was over the General saved the message before unlocking his office door and drafting a quick message of his own. 

_‘It’s time to have a chat with Lieutenant Stobek.’_

* * *

Korina was about to enter her fourteenth week of pregnancy and much to her delight the nausea and morning sickness had eased off. In it’s place there was now an increased appetite, evidenced by the large plate of food in front of the engineer as she sat in the canteen having lunch with Mina. 

“You have no idea how _good_ it feels to be eating something other than crackers or granola bars.” she told the blonde sitting opposite her. 

“I’m sure the housekeeping droids will be pleased,” her roommate replied, “You’ve been leaving a trail of crumbs all over our quarters for the past couple of weeks.” 

“It’s probably going to be a year before I can even _look_ at a cracker again, so I’d say that the droids have nothing to worry about.” Korina assured her roommate before shoveling a forkful of salad into her mouth. 

Both women reacted to the sound of their datapads chiming with a new message, at first assuming that the reason for the simultaneous notification was something issued to most, if not all staff before realizing that no nobody else in the canteen was looking at their datapads. In fact, they didn’t hear any other chimes but the ones coming from their own devices. 

“It’s from Hux.” Korina whispered across the table to her roommate. 

“Same here,” Mina frowned, turning her datapad towards the engineer, “We better find out what he wants.” 

Their messages were identical: 

**Please report to my office at 19:00 hours. You have all been cleared to end your respective shifts early. -** **General Hux**

They had suspected that his reason for meeting was to do with Lieutenant Stobek, and that had been confirmed by both the brief message calling them to his office on an evening, as well as the fact that the message had also been sent to both Lieutenant Mitaka and Captain Phasma. 

Korina parted ways with Mina after lunch, and while the blonde was heading to the gym, the engineer decided to call by Hux’s office and see if he was there. She knew that he couldn’t reveal anything in the message on the off chance that it was intercepted, but she still needed to know what to expect from the meeting. Was it some sort of planning session? Or was this their opportunity to confront Stobek? 

She couldn’t wait to find out. 

* * *

General Hux was still sitting at his desk when he heard a knock on his office door. He had resumed the task of sorting though his messages once he had contacted those involved with the Stobek situation to summon them to his office that evening. “Enter,” the redhead ordered from his seat. 

Hux was surprised to see Korina enter the room. 

“Sorry to bother you, General,” she apologized, “But I had some questions that couldn’t wait until later.” 

He sat up straighter and nodded wordlessly towards the chair opposite him. He now understood why the pregnancy books had described expectant mothers as _‘glowing’_ because that description seemed fitting right now. The brunette’s cheeks looked a little plumper, her skin appeared smoother and clearer, and her mahogany locks were shinier than he’d ever seen. 

“We have enough evidence to confront Lieutenant Stobek,” Hux told her, “She can’t deny it, we have a recorded confession from her.” 

The General was not prepared for the engineer to begin crying. 

“Korina?” he fretted, “What’s wrong? Is it the baby?” 

The brunette was hunched over in her seat with her head in her hands and her shoulders trembled with poorly repressed sobs. Hux was on his knees in front of her in seconds, carefully placing his gloved hands over hers and attempting to gently pry them away from her face, succeeding when he felt her wrists loosen but not releasing his hold, instead bringing them to rest on the woman’s lap. 

“I’m sorry,” Korina sniffled, shaking her head slightly, “It’s just that I can’t believe something’s finally going to be done about Stobek. After almost a year of tolerating her behavior...it seemed like it would never end, you know?” 

Hux nodded in response before becoming aware that his grasp on the engineer’s hands was preventing her from being able to wipe away her tears; the little droplets that clung to her eyelashes and the meandering streams that rolled down her cheeks. He moved one of his own hands to cup her face in his palm and used his leather covered thumb to intercept and wipe away some of the tears that he found there. 

“Perhaps I’m the one who should be sorry,” he spoke in hushed tones, “I didn’t mean to make you cry.” 

“I know, it’s just pregnancy,” Korina almost laughed, “My emotions are a little messed up right now.” 

“My apology still stands. After all, I’m the one who got you pregnant in the first place.” 

“Under the influence,” she reminded him, “And it wasn’t your fault that my contraceptive implant malfunctioned.” Hux nodded in agreement, still kneeling on the floor in front of her. 

_‘But I’ll never regret that it did.’_ the General thought to himself. 

Now there was nothing but silence in Hux’s office. Just the two of them holding hands and staring into each other’s eyes, tension simmering between them as the seconds ticked by. All that it would take was for one of them to lean forward and capture the other’s lips, but who would make the first move? 

The chime of Korina’s datapad shattered the silence. 

“I’m sorry, it’s Officer Gil,” the engineer frowned at her boss’ timing, “I’ve been assigned a repair.” 

Hux looked around and appeared to remember that he was still on the ground, moving to stand up before helping Korina up from her chair, “You’d better attend to that then. We’ll see each other later,” the redhead smiled before doing something he’d never done before. 

He kissed her hand. 

* * *

The scene was set for Lieutenant Stobek’s downfall. 

The General had summoned her to his office half an hour after everybody else, using the time to explain his plan and the part everybody had to play in it before allocating them various hiding places nearby. The first person that the Lieutenant would encounter was the very woman she had been tormenting for almost a year since her arrival on the Finalizer. 

Before entering General Hux’s office Jynna Stobek was feeling quite satisfied with herself, not bothered at all by the sudden meeting she’d been summoned to, already expecting to be getting her punishment for breaking into his office and attempting to seduce him. If he didn’t want his relationship with the desert rat to become public knowledge perhaps she’d get away with a warning, but if not it didn’t matter. 

Lieutenant Stobek had new plans for the engineer and a new ally to assist her in enacting them. She also had friends in high places... 

Her eyes narrowed and her jaw tensed as she eyed the figure sitting beside the General’s desk. 

“What are you doing here, Klovell?” The Lieutenant spat, glaring at her nemesis with pure disgust “Are you so _desperate_ to whore yourself out to the General that you’re hanging around his office now? Tell me, how many times has he bent you over that desk so that he doesn’t have to look into the face of the scum he’s screwing?” 

Korina maintained a dignified silence. Stobek would never believe the truth. 

“All this time I thought that the General was a man of good taste,” Jynna snorted a sarcastic laugh, “Turns out he’s just like most men; ruled by what’s between his legs.” 

“Perhaps you should be careful of what you say about your superior.” Korina suggested calmly. 

“How dare you! You of all people have no right to order me around!” The Lieutenant took a step towards the engineer, “I have every right to an opinion and my opinion is that you should not be here, not on the Finalizer - not associated with the First Order at all.” 

“What did I ever do to attract such animosity from you?” the engineer inquired. 

Jynna scoffed, “For generations my family has been aligned with greatness - first with the empire and now with the First Order. I have spent years of my life studying and training to become the best officer that I can be. I _earned_ my position here. Can you say the same?” 

Korina remained quiet as she watched the Lieutenant’s expressions. 

“Picked up on a Jakku junkyard like any other piece of trash. You got lucky, didn’t you? You started working on the Finalizer the very next day!” Jynna feigned a smile, “I wonder, how many more days was it before you dropped your panties for the General?” 

“That’s _enough_ , Lieutenant.” 

General Hux strode into the room with the same powerful elegance as he usually did, bypassing Stobek and walking straight up to his desk where Korina sat, placing a gloved hand on her shoulder reassuringly. 

“General Hux, Sir,” the Lieutenant took a step forward, opening her mouth to speak but being silenced with a raise of the redhead’s hand. “You seem to have a lot of opinions, Lieutenant. Is there anything you’d like to say to either myself or Miss Klovell?” he asked her. 

“No, Sir.” she replied. 

“Would you care to explain this then?” the General asked before tapping his datapad and activating the audio from Mitaka’s message. The woman stiffened as she heard her own voice gleefully confessing to her actions against Korina. 

_“Still here, even after I slipped a little something in her drink at the Officer’s Gala.”_

“Sir, I was coerced into saying those things.” Stobek tried unsuccessfully to defend herself. 

“No you weren’t.” Mitaka stepped out from his hiding place. 

“You...you were recording me?” she stuttered, “Tell them, _tell them_ how you altered the recording to make me sound bad!” Mitaka shook his head before looking to the General, “I assure you that the audio you hear has not been altered in any way.” 

“I don’t have to sit here and listen to your lies! I’m being set up!” 

The Lieutenant didn’t make it far though. Before she reached the office door it whooshed open to reveal the imposing figure of Captain Phasma, standing tall with a blaster in her hands. Stobek shrieked at the unexpected appearance of the chrome armored trooper, stepping back into the room in an attempt to put some distance between them. 

Hux gestured towards an empty chair, “There’s still much to discuss, Lieutenant. Please, take a seat.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! :) 
> 
> I'll try not to take too long finishing part 2 of the confrontation.


	26. Make Your Mind Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two days later than I wanted but here's the new chapter. 
> 
> Thank you for your comments and kudos. I really appreciate it.

Upon realizing that she was trapped in the office for the time being, Lieutenant Stobek backed away from the chrome armored woman and slowly lowered herself into the free chair in front of the General’s desk, eyes locked on Korina like a predator stalking its prey. 

General Hux opened a drawer in his desk and retrieved what appeared to be a book. 

“Are you familiar with this, Lieutenant?” he asked, holding it up in front of Jynna. 

“Yes, she nodded, “It’s the First Order guidebook, Sir.” 

Hux tossed the book onto the desk in front of her, “Turn to page sixty seven and locate section five,” The redhead watched as Jynna obliged, “Now I’d like you to find paragraph eight and read it aloud.” he instructed her. 

Lieutenant Stobek impatiently flicked through the pages of the guidebook until she found what she was looking for, giving a short huff before beginning to read the words on the page. 

“Cases of workplace harassment are all categorized under ‘inappropriate behavior’ although the penalty is determined by whether the offences include mental, physical, or sexual components. Actions deemed ‘inappropriate behavior’ include: offensive and derogatory language, deliberate action resulting in physical harm, deliberate action resulting in mental distress, putting somebody into a situation that they are unwilling or unable to consent to, and sexually motivated physical contact.” 

“In the recording we just listened to,” Hux motioned back towards his datapad, “You claim to have done several things to Miss Klovell that can definitely be classified as inappropriate behavior,” he leaned across the desk to make eye contact with the Lieutenant, “And judging by your lack of remorse you seem to believe that your actions were justified.” 

“It was for the good of the First Order.” she stated simply. 

“Assuming that were true, in what way was Miss Klovell a threat to the First Order?” 

Jynna shook her head slowly as if that were a stupid question, “What sort of impression does it give to our enemies when we dilute the might of our forces with subpar crew members? She doesn’t belong here. There’s dozens of skilled officers within the First Order that could do her job - which she’s not even properly trained for!” the Lieutenant spat, “Her repair skills obviously weren’t up to scratch if she had to resort to opening her legs, which she’d probably be doing if she got sent back to Jakku anyway!” 

“Actually, Korina was in the process of repairing a ship when Lieutenant Shif and I recruited her,” Mina moved to stand beside Mitaka, “There _are_ women on Jakku that sell their bodies but she has never been one of them, and it’s offensive to suggest that she ever has.” 

“Oh, please, shut up Captain Vane!” Jynna rolled her eyes, “It’s none of your business. Was this ambush your idea?” 

“It was mine.” 

Hux’s voice drew Stobek’s attention back to he desk. He nodded towards the guidebook. 

“Now I’d like you to turn to page ninety five, section two, paragraph four.” The General instructed. 

The Lieutenant got the idea and began reading aloud once more, “The commanding officer of the vessel is permitted to intervene in any case of harassment which impedes the function of crew and/or machinery. The commanding officer of the vessel also holds the authority to conduct spontaneous searches of both work areas and living quarters of crew members, as well as the freedom to view security footage from communal areas." She looked expectantly to Hux. 

“I believe,” he reached over and retrieved a folded piece of paper from the desk drawer, unfolding it and sliding it across the desk, “That this looks familiar.” Jynna leaned forward in her seat to eye the handwritten note - the incriminating instructions for the preparation and use of orcasite root. 

“No, Sir,” Stobek shrugged, “Never seen it before.” 

Hux began to pace the floor of his office, “Oh? So you deny that you were seen disposing of this note?” 

“Absolutely.” 

“Mitaka, if you would,” the General gestured towards a blank screen in the corner of his office, “I’m sure this will jog the Lieutenant’s memory.” The dark haired man retrieved a disc from the pocket of his uniform trousers before setting up a data reader and connecting it to the screen. Upon inserting the disc into the reader the screen flickered on to display a security feed from an area of the Finalizer. 

Lieutenant Stobek remained silent and expressionless as she watched the screen - until she spotted herself and realization sunk in as to what she was looking at. It was a security feed from the day she was supposed to have disposed of the incriminating note, and she watched anxiously as the scene played out, ending with Mitaka crouching down and retrieving the dropped paper. 

“Anything you’d like to say _now_ , Lieutenant?” Hux raised a brow as the screen faded to black. 

“This is ridiculous,” she scoffed, “Why am I being singled out?” 

“Lieutenant Stobek,” Hux straightened his posture, standing tall with his hands clasped behind his back, “Do you consider it _appropriate behavior_ to single out a fellow crew member for workplace harassment?” He quirked a brow in anticipation of the woman’s response. 

Jynna’s lips twisted sourly, “No. I do not, Sir.” 

“And yet that is exactly what you’ve done to Miss Klovell.” the redhead pointed out. 

“Okay, fine!” she stood from her seat and threw her arms open in a gesture of frustration, “I did do those things, I tried on several occasions to get rid of her, but I already told you it was for the good of our organisation!” the woman hissed, “Are you gonna punish me for that - for trying to do what was best for the First Order?” 

“You will be reprimanded for your unprofessional conduct. I shall detail those instances in my report and a note will be placed on your record.” the General explained, “As far as punishments go there are several options available. Given the nature of your infractions and the extent of your efforts to harm Miss Klovell I would recommend a demotion and transfer to another ship.” 

“What! Demoted?” Stobek was aghast. 

Hux was expecting that reaction. He paused for a moment before speaking, “There is a second option which would _not_ include demotion.” 

“And what would that be?” the Lieutenant asked the redhead. 

“You would receive a permanent mark on your record, as well as six hours a week of assisting the cleaning crew on the lower decks,” General Hux smirked a little when his back was turned to her, “And you would be required to issue both verbal and written apologies to Miss Klovell.” 

“You can’t be serious.” 

“I can assure you that I am, Lieutenant,” Hux replied, “And I believe that the options I’m offering you are completely reasonable in this situation,” the redhead moved to place his hand on Korina’s shoulder once more, “You can actually thank Miss Klovell for allowing you those options, because I myself was content to flush you out of the airlock.” 

Stobek’s jaw dropped at the General’s confession. 

It was true that Korina had influenced the punishments offered to the Lieutenant. The engineer had reasoned that if she had suffered an entire year of torment, then it made sense for the perpetrator to have a long term punishment to even things out. If she thought that Korina was beneath her then working with the cleaning crew might wipe out some of Jynna’s entitled attitude. 

“Your choice, Lieutenant Stobek.” Hux reminded the woman, who fixed her gaze on Korina, “I am _not_ apologizing to _her_ ,” she stated, “I’d rather have a demotion.” The General smirked down at the pouting officer, “About that, I don’t think I made myself clear...” he paused for a moment, “The demotion would be to cleaning crew.” 

Jynna’s expression paled before anger crossed her features, “So it’s pretty much the same option?” 

“Not at all,” Hux replied, “In option one you’d be a full time member of the cleaning crew, on another ship of course, and in option two you’d be on the cleaning crew six hours a week. You’d also retain your rank,” the redhead explained, “I’m sure apologizing to Miss Klovell is a small price to pay for an easier option.” 

“Fine. I choose option two,” the Lieutenant spoke through gritted teeth, “But I’m _very_ disappointed in you, General.” 

“Me?” he inquired. 

Jynna folded her arms, “Not only did you lower your standards by allowing her to work on your ship and in the First Order, but you further lowered your standards and displayed very little self respect when you began taking her to your bed.” 

“You know, I really should thank you for that,” Hux looked to Korina as Stobek’s brow furrowed in confusion, “You see, the night of the Gala, Miss Klovell and I ended up in bed together after we _both_ drank the beverage that you took it upon yourself to drug with powdered orcasite root.” 

“How? Why would you even...you weren’t supposed to...” she stumbled over her words as the General’s own sunk in, “I didn’t even use that much!” 

“You used enough.” the engineer stated, attracting more of Jynna’s attention. 

“Do you think you’re better than me, Klovell?” asked the Lieutenant, “You don’t have the benefit of an education and your looks will fade. Your figure isn’t looking good right now so you might wanna lose some weight too.” 

“I’m sure a lot of the weight will drop off when the baby arrives.” came General Hux’s response. 

* * *

It was over. Korina’s year of torment at the hands of Jynna Stobek was _finally_ over. 

The realization was just sinking in and the engineer found herself sitting on the General’s couch nursing a mug of tea with the redhead himself - and of course Millicent, while trying to process the day’s events. The gentle squeeze of Hux’s hand on her knee drew the brunette from her thoughts, “What’s on your mind?” he asked her. 

Careful not to disturb the sleeping feline beside her, Korina shifted in her seat to face him as he quietly observed her body language and facial expressions, “There’s something I need to tell you. I’ve been stalling for a while but I promised myself that I’d say something as soon as this Stobek thing was dealt with. Before you say anything I need you to know that I don’t expect anything from you.” 

Hux nodded, “I’m listening.” 

“Armitage,” the young woman placed her mug on the coffee table, smiling at using his first name, “This is probably going to sound stupid and you might think differently about me once I say the words,” Korina took a steadying breath, “We barely know each other but for a while now my feelings for you have been... _stronger_ than just friendship, or whatever this is. Hux swallowed nervously.

“What are you saying?” 

“Armitage, I’m in love with you.” 

The General’s face displayed shock and surprise. His pale skin flushed pink, sapphire orbs widened and his jaw became slack. He opened his mouth as if to speak but closed it again when nothing came out. Korina saw he way he tensed his shoulders and the way his knuckles whitened as he gripped his knees.

Hux was stunned. All this time he had been battling his feelings for Korina when she reciprocated them! In his disbelief the redhead hadn’t realized that the engineer had left the couch and was currently heading for the door, misinterpreting his silent stupor as confirmation of him not feeling the same way. 

Shocked into action, Hux leapt from his seat and made a beeline for the door, which Korina had not yet reached. His long legs allowed him to cross the floor in three or four strides, reaching out an arm to gently but firmly tug on the woman’s elbow and forcing her to face him. Guilt ebbed through him as he registered her eyes beginning to redden with tears. 

“Let me go.” she said in a small voice. 

Why was this happening? Why were his words failing him now? 

He did the only thing he could think of. Stepping forward and cupping the engineer’s face in his gloved hands, he leaned down and kissed her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! :) 
> 
> What do you think will happen next?


	27. Give Me Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been working on this all day - my longest chapter by far! 
> 
> You get some fluff, some Millicent, some talk about the previous chapter, and because it was bound to happen at some point we have some sexy time. ;)
> 
> Hopefully all that means you guys enjoy the chapter. :)

For several moments Korina Klovell could barely comprehend what was happening. 

One minute she was heading for the door of the General’s quarters in a desperate attempt to put as much space as possible between herself and the father of her child, whose reaction to her declaration of love was the reason for the hot tears currently pricking at her brown eyes, and the next she was being pulled back towards him with no time to protest. 

Her murmured plea to release her had scarcely left her mouth before the redhead’s soft lips were on hers. She felt the cool leather of his gloves cupping her cheeks and inhaled the enticing scent of his cologne as she tasted the tea he’d been drinking. The kiss was intense and insistent but not painfully so, and she recognized that Hux was trying to convey a message. 

Parting reluctantly, the General rested his forehead against hers. “I love you too.” 

“Really?” Korina asked in a breathy whisper. 

Hux pulled back to look at her, “Do you need some more proof? Because I’m going to kiss you again, he told her, “I’ll keep kissing you until you believe that my feelings are true.” The redhead moved to do just that, but Korina halted him with a hand pressed firmly to his chest. 

“Why have you never said anything?” she inquired. The engineer had her suspicions but she needed to hear it from him. 

“I’ve been a coward,” he sighed, “I admit that I was doubtful if you’d ever believe that my feelings for you weren’t simply due to you carrying my child,” Hux reached out and tucked a loose mahogany strand behind her ear, “I was afraid of losing both of you, and my own insecurities held me back for fear of rejection.” 

The brunette shrugged, “I thought that...that you only kept me around because of the baby.” 

“Korina,” Hux whispered her name softly, “Over the years I have developed a tolerance to stronger liquor and I have long suspected that my mind was not impaired enough that night to instigate a random fling with a crew member,” he caressed her cheek, “I believe, regardless of my uninhibited state that I was attracted to you all along.” 

The General placed a gloved hand at the small of Korina’s back, guiding her back towards the couch. Millicent emitted a contented purr as the humans rejoined her on the furniture, drawing a smile from the pregnant woman who moved her hand to scratch underneath the ginger feline’s chin, resulting in more purring. Hux smiled as he watched the exchange. 

“Perhaps we should make a promise now to be honest with each other.” he suggested. 

The engineer nodded, continuing to watch Millicent, “I agree. Let’s not have anymore misunderstandings.” 

“Anything you need to say now?” Hux inquired, “Other than what you’ve already told me.” Korina looked up at the redhead and nodded, “I do have a couple of questions.” 

The General nodded and silently gestured for her to continue. 

“Why did you tell Stobek about the baby?” the engineer inquired, “I’m not mad or anything - people are gonna find out soon anyway, I was just curious.” 

“I apologize for not informing you in advance,” Hux removed his gloves, “But that was a test for the Lieutenant,” his now bare hands moved to cover Korina’s, “She’s been formally warned that any further discussion and slander of you and I will be met with zero tolerance.” 

The redhead continued to explain, “As of now the pregnancy is only known to a handful of people. Aside from you and I there’s Dr. Verdi, who’s bound by patient confidentiality, followed by Phasma and Mitaka who are my two most trusted officers. Finally there’s Mina, who has proven to be both trustworthy and discreet.” 

Korina nodded in understanding, “So if any baby news leaks before we reveal it that means it came from Stobek.” 

“Exactly,” the General smirked, “If she cannot keep the news to herself then she will lose her job and her rank with immediate effect. Once she’s no longer an employee of the First Order she will be classed as a prisoner and held in the brig until there is either a transport to escort her off the Finalizer or a habitable planet on which to leave her.” 

“That’s kind of brilliant.” the brunette admitted. 

Hux turned to face her, brow raised, “You sound surprised. Were you not aware of my brilliance?” He was only half joking but it brought a grin to Korina’s face. 

“What was your other question?” he asked the engineer, who was absently tracing patterns in Millicent’s fur, apparently deep in thought. 

“Are you worried about what people will say when they find out about the baby?” she asked him, “Not necessarily the pregnancy part but how that came about. I mean, we’re not the kind of people who would normally cross paths, and I get the feeling...” Korina paused for a moment to consider her words, “I feel like the first thing people will assume is that I somehow tricked you into bed, and that I’m just a lowly engineer who offered a superior officer sex in an attempt to get a promotion.” 

“We both know that’s not true.” Hux reminded her, running his thumb over her knuckles in a calming gesture. 

“We know it, but for the past year Stobek has continually painted me as some cheap whore,” the engineer sighed, “At one point two stormtroopers approached me asking how much my _‘services’_ would cost them. Luckily they never bothered me again after Mina intervened.” 

“Having been on the receiving end of Captain Vane’s anger I can see how that would deter them. I’m sorry that you experienced such treatment, it’s unacceptable behavior. I assume you refrained from filing a complaint for the same reason you never reported Lieutenant Stobek.” 

Korina nodded her head in affirmation, “Fear of not being believed and getting sent back to Jakku. Like I said, fortunately Mina scared them away with some choice words,” Hux raised a brow, sensing that there was more, “She _may_ have threatened to take a blaster to certain parts of their anatomy.” 

The engineer cringed, “I just got Mina in trouble, didn’t I?” 

The General shook his head, “Unlike Lieutenant Stobek’s excuses today, I think Captain Vane’s language was justified in that situation.” The brunette chewed on her bottom lip in an attempt to disguise her amusement at the redhead’s reaction. 

“Are you afraid that after revealing the pregnancy there may be repeat incidents?” Hux inquired. 

The engineer sighed as she took a sip of tea from her mug before placing it back on the coffee table.

“It’s not an immediate concern but the thought is there at the back of my mind,” she explained, “For so long, whenever anybody would look in my direction I always wondered whether it was because they’d heard Stobek’s rumors and whether they believed them,” Korina’s eyes dropped down to her lap, “The truth is, you’re only the third person I’ve ever slept with.” 

Hux gently lifted her chin in order to make eye contact, “That’s of no importance to me. It’s _nobody’s_ business but your own, especially not random crew members. I’m confident that people will realize her deceit once news of Lieutenant Stobek’s punishment spreads.” 

“I hope you’re right.” she told him. The General smirked, “I usually am.” 

“Any questions for me?” the engineer asked Hux. 

“Only one,” the redhead smiled softly as he stroked her hair, “Can I kiss you now?” 

A rosy blush that colored the young woman’s cheeks and a whispered _‘yes’_ was all it took for their lips to meet once more. Now fully in control of her thoughts and reactions and better prepared than she had been earlier, the brunette returned the kiss eagerly, matching the General’s intensity as she immersed herself in what she had been yearning to do for weeks now. 

Finally able to express the feelings he’d been repressing, Hux kissed her with a sense of desperation and longing, lips tingling as if literal sparks were flying between them. The softness of her skin and scent of her hair combined with the feeling of her fingers running through his own hair, as well as the sound of the contented sighs she was making had him in almost sensory overload. 

Neither of them could pinpoint the moment that things changed, but the kisses had become more insistent, with one set of lips happy to yield to the other person’s tongue. Korina’s hands left Hux’s copper locks to brush against his neck, leaving burning trail along the exposed skin. His hands had also wandered, one caressing her hip and one working to untie her hair from the regulation bun. 

Upon succeeding in freeing the engineer’s mahogany locks the General broke the kiss for a moment to admire the way they tumbled down to rest over her shoulders and collarbone. 

_‘She really is beautiful.’_ he thought to himself. 

Millicent voiced her annoyance at being disturbed by her owner’s current movements before relocating to the other couch and beginning to busy herself with grooming. 

It wasn’t long before it became clear that the prolonged lip-locks were not going to be enough for either Korina or Hux, and wordlessly they had moved from the couch to the General’s bedroom door. Another flurry of hungry kisses and longing touches had the redhead sweeping the young woman into his arms and carrying her inside before placing her down on the bed with a gentleness that belied the urgency of their kisses. 

Korina sat up and began removing her boots while the General set about ridding himself of his uniform, starting with his top half before beginning to remove his own boots, allowing him to remove the garments covering his lower half. Once he had stripped down to his black boxer shorts - standard issue, _obviously_ \- the redhead moved to help his lover out of her clothes. 

_‘Did he always look that good?’_ the engineer pondered as her eyes took in the almost bare Hux. 

Upon reaching the last fastening on the engineer’s shirt, Hux slid the fabric off her shoulders to reveal her standard issue bra and below that her tiny bump, causing his hands to still. “Are we...it’s not...will it hurt the baby?” he asked suddenly, unable to recall if he’d read anything on the topic of pregnancy sex.

“No, it’s okay. It’s safe.” Korina assured him. 

“Tell me if I need to stop.” Hux told the brunette, anxious not to cause her any discomfort. “I’ll let you know,” the engineer nodded, pulling him into another kiss. 

Kisses moved from mouths to necks to shoulders before reaching chests. A sudden yelp from Korina had the General quickly removing his mouth from the nipple he’d just grazed, “Sorry! What did I do - are you hurt?” he fretted, looking ready to summon a medic. 

“I’m okay, you didn’t hurt me,” the brunette assured him, “It’s just that pregnancy makes my breasts more sensitive.” Wanting to avoid repeating his actions the redhead bypassed the engineer’s breasts in favor of putting his mouth to work between her legs. At Korina’s first delighted moan she spoke before Hux had a chance to, “That _wasn’t_ pain! That felt _good_ ,” repeating the sound as he continued without interruption. 

At some point the engineer got lost in the pleasurable sensations that Hux was able to conjure up with his magic mouth, vaguely aware of her chest heaving and thighs clamping as she heard herself cry out upon reaching her peak. Shortly after the last wave of her climax her brown eyes locked with the blue orbs of the General. 

“Good?” he inquired with a knowing smirk. 

“Don’t you _dare_ stop now,” Korina warned him, “I need more.” 

“Are you sure?” Hux questioned once again, wary of hurting her or their unborn child. The look on the engineer’s face told him that he already knew the answer to that question and he refrained from making any further comment, instead answering her silent plea by taking hold of his length and lining up, “Tell me if you need me to stop,” he reminded her, beginning to inch his way inside her before she could voice anymore displeasure at the delay. 

“Mm, _finally_ ,” Korina practically purred as she savored the sensation of the General inside her, “That feels so good, so right,” she whispered as he brought his face down to hers. “It’s perfect, you’re perfect,” he told her before withdrawing in order to begin his thrusting motions. 

They moved together in perfect sync as they engaged in their first union as a couple. It was symbolic - no more hidden feelings or fears, just the two of them in an expression of love and trust that they had built over the past few months since their initial coupling which had resulted in the conception of their unborn child. 

Their lovemaking was nearing its conclusion when Korina brought her hands to the General’s face, brushing back a loose copper strand from his forehead before staring into his eyes, “Armitage,” the redhead groaned as she murmured his name, “I want you to say it again,” she sighed as she neared her peak once more. Hux didn’t need to ask what she meant, propping himself up to hover over her body and locking his sapphire eyes with her brown ones. 

“Korina, I love you,” Hux told her, suppressing a groan as he felt her physical reaction to his words. 

“I love you too, Armitage,” the brunette cried, looping her arms around his neck as she hit her peak, _“I love you, I love you, I love you,”_ she cooed as a tingling warmth spread throughout her body, lighting up every nerve and enveloping her in a blissful sensation. 

The General seized her lips once more in a passion-filled kiss as he increased his own movements, still aware of not being too forceful with the pregnant woman as one hand tucked under her waist and the other gently trailed up and down her thigh. His focus was slowly slipping as his mind drifted from his movements to the combination of Korina’s actions that would send him over the edge, gasping as he found his release inside her. 

Taking care not to put any weight on her stomach area, Hux rolled onto his side and hugged Korina to his chest, both of them laying in comfortable silence as their breathing evened out and the fizzing of their spent bodies subsided. The redhead savored the feeling of the engineer in his arms, finally realizing that he was no longer afraid of that emotional intimacy, and it felt _wonderful_. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Much appreciated. :)


	28. Next Steps

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. I had a bit of writer's block with this one. :(  
> It's a bit of a filler chapter but I hope you enjoy it anyway. 
> 
> I want to say a huge thank you for all the support and lovely feedback I've had on this story. :)

Armitage Hux was not used to sleeping as soundly as he had last night. 

Korina’s presence beside him as they slept was a feeling of great comfort, even more so now that the weight of their unspoken feelings had been lifted. For years the General had suppressed his emotions in an attempt to protect himself from any more of the abuse and rejection he had suffered from his father and others. Now in a matter of weeks the engineer had broken down the walls he’d spent years building with the intention of keeping everyone out. 

Hux realized now that by locking away his emotions he had denied himself the enjoyment of any positive experiences. His father’s words had been programmed into his mind, telling him that feelings were weak and shameful and therefore he was weak and useless too. 

The General was convinced that he would be content anywhere that Korina was. Everything about her made him feel seen as a person, because she hadn’t fallen in love with his rank or reputation, or even his looks. She had fallen in love with Armitage Hux, the man. 

It was strange to register the fact that the engineer accepted him completely, but he didn’t doubt that she did, especially now that there was nothing left to hide. Over the course of their shared evenings the two of them had spent hours after eating dinner just talking and drinking tea. Hux had told her the grim details of his childhood and everything that followed it, confessing his hopes and fears without judgement or mockery. 

Korina did not shame him for crying or admitting his weaknesses - she held his hand or embraced him to offer comfort, and she _wanted_ to do that. She _wanted_ to comfort him, to have his company, and she was physically attracted to him too. The brunette had not - as he feared - been repulsed by the many scars that covered his pale skin. Her own confessions had included the revelation that she _wanted_ him to kiss her, and touch her, and make love to her. She accepted him completely, and that only made Hux more in love with her. 

A quick glance at the clock told the General that he had to get up soon in order to prepare himself for a long shift on the bridge. Part of the redhead was harboring the irrational fear that by doing so he would break whatever spell had him in such a state of bliss, turning his gaze to the sleeping engineer next to him and allowing his sapphire eyes to roam over her features, taking in as many details as possible lest she disappear at any moment. 

The gentle warmth of Korina’s body beside him was reassuring, as was the steady rhythm of her breathing and the scent of whatever she used to wash her hair. Hux knew that it wasn’t standard issue shampoo because that didn’t really smell like anything, but it was reminiscent of the way the forest on Arkanis smelled after a heavy rain and that gave the redhead an increased sense of comfort. 

“How long have you been staring at me?” Korina mumbled as she blinked her brown eyes open to meet his sapphire gaze. 

“I wasn’t staring, I was admiring,” the redhead corrected her. 

“Ok, then how long have you been admiring me?” the engineer inquired. 

“For a long time,” the General smirked, “But only for a couple of minutes this morning.” 

“Oh?” Korina raised a brow, “Did you happen to see anything interesting?” Hux reached out to sweep some hair away from the brunette’s face, “You’re glowing,” he told her, “Do you know how beautiful you are?” 

The engineer frowned, “Are you saying I’m beautiful just because I have that pregnancy glow?” 

“No,” he leaned over to drop a brief kiss to her lips, “The glow just enhances your beauty.” 

Korina opened her mouth to reply but the General took the opportunity to go back for another kiss, this time not so brief. She had already witnessed a vulnerable side of Hux but she hadn’t expected that a man who struck fear into the bridge crew on a daily basis could be so gentle and attentive during intimate moments. Every display of tenderness only strengthened the engineer’s confidence in the redhead’s ability to be a good father. 

When they finally broke apart they locked eyes for a moment before Hux’s morning alarm sounded, drawing a frustrated groan from the redhead as he scrambled to switch it off. 

“I have to get ready for work.” he sighed, before stealing one more brief kiss from the engineer. 

“So do I,” Korina reminded him, “I’m not on medical leave _yet!”_

Hux nodded, “Yes, remind me to ask about that when we see Dr. Verdi this afternoon.” 

“It seemed like just yesterday when I had _months_ left but I’m already into my second trimester.” 

“Less time to wait until we meet our child,” the General reminded her. 

“True,” Korina smiled as she patted her fourteen week bump. 

“Oh, and I’ve decided to reward Lieutenant Mitaka for his help with the Stobek situation," he explained, "I’m just trying to decide on a satisfactory gift in order to show my gratitude,” the redhead added, “Do you have any idea what he might like?” 

The engineer chuckled, “Yes, but I doubt Mina would allow you to pack her into a gift box!” 

* * *

“Good afternoon, General,” Dr. Verdi greeted the redhead as he strolled into the medbay. 

“Doctor,” Hux nodded as he approached the older man, “You were expecting me, I presume?” 

Dr. Verdi nodded before beckoning the General towards the usual examination room, “Of course,” he replied, “Miss Klovell is already waiting in my office.” 

General Hux matched the doctor’s pace as they walked down the hallway before coming to a halt outside room 7B. The doctor gently knocked on the door before peering inside to find Korina sitting in her usual chair with a soft smile on her face. The brunette’s smile widened when she saw Hux enter the room behind Dr. Verdi. 

“Good afternoon, Korina,” the bespectacled man smiled as he rounded the desk and seated himself in his chair, "Just a few questions before we proceed with the physical examination,” he explained as he pulled out a folder containing the engineer’s notes, “Take a seat, General.” 

The redhead took the unoccupied seat next to Korina before stealing a sideways glance at her. He could barely register the fact that this young woman - who was so kind and beautiful, actually wanted him too. Hux really did feel like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders now that all of their feelings were out in the open. 

“How are your symptoms?” the doctor asked her, “Still tired?” 

“Actually, I have a little more energy now,” the engineer replied, “My morning sickness has stopped too.” The bespectacled man nodded as he noted that down in her medical records, “Are you able to eat better now?” he asked her without looking up from the file on his desk. 

Korina nodded, “I finally have my appetite back.” 

“Any new symptoms?” Dr. Verdi inquired. 

The brunette’s eyes briefly flickered over to the General, “I’m experiencing some sensitivity in my breasts,” she replied, “And there’s something else but I’m afraid I don’t know the _technical_ term you would use to describe it,” the engineer chewed her lip nervously.” 

“You can tell me in plain terms,” the doctor smiled reassuringly. 

“Hm, okay,” Korina replied hesitantly, “I’ve been feeling, kind of...horny, I guess.” The doctor raised a brow for a brief second before jotting down this new information. 

“That’s completely normal, Miss Klovell,” Dr. Verdi explained, “It’s actually quite common, and not surprising when you think about all of the hormonal effects of pregnancy.” 

“So it is safe?” the General inquired. 

Dr. Verdi looked towards the redhead, “Oh yes, some overdue women even have sex to coax their body into labor.” 

The redhead looked surprised by this new information but didn’t say anything. 

“Okay,” the doctor decided to swiftly move on, patting the empty bed, “Let’s have a look at how baby’s doing.” 

Korina was used to the doctor’s examinations by now but the novelty obviously hadn’t worn off for the General, who was still mad at himself for missing the first appointments due to his cowardly behavior. Hux was already staring at the screen before the doctor had switched the machine on, and he was quick to take the brunette’s hand in his own. 

The image that flickered on the screen was a slight shock to both soon-to-be parents, neither of them expecting to see so much development since their last appointment. What had previously been a fuzzy blob was now shaped much more like a baby, with a rounded head and all four limbs in development. 

Hux and Korina wore matching smiles as the sound of their unborn child’s heartbeat filled the room once more. 

“Still good and strong,” Dr. Verdi confirmed, “I suspect that by our next appointment I’ll be able to tell you the baby’s gender - if you want to know, that is,” the bespectacled man added. 

Korina glanced at Hux. She hadn’t yet considered whether the baby was a boy or a girl and she had no preference, although she suddenly wondered which the General would prefer. He seemed to anticipate her inquiry, squeezing her hand gently in his, “I’m not bothered what gender we have as long as he or she is healthy.” 

“You have a couple of weeks to think it over before your next appointment,” the doctor reminded them both, “Some people like a surprise and some like to know the gender in order to buy clothes or narrow down names.” 

“I hadn’t even thought about names,” the engineer said to nobody in particular. 

“Nor I, but perhaps we can start compiling a list of possible names?” Hux suggested. 

Korina nodded in agreement, “Okay, we’ll make a list of names and then narrow it down if we decide to find out the baby’s gender.” 

“Would you like to ask me anything?” the doctor inquired as he cleared up the area. 

“How much longer do you think I can work before this,” she motioned to her bump, “Is too obvious?” 

“There’s no correct rate of growth,” the bespectacled man explained, “Everyone is different, but if I had to estimate based on your frame and the rate of growth that I’ve observed on the ultrasound machine, I’d estimate two to four weeks.” 

“Okay, then you’ll sign off on medical leave?” Hux looked at the older man. 

“Yes, General,” Dr. Verdi replied, “I can have the forms ready to sign at the next appointment should the growth rate be more obvious by then,” he explained, “In the meantime, here’s something I think you’ll enjoy.” 

The doctor handed the redhead a plain beige envelope. Korina moved to Hux’s side as he pulled out a photograph - a still from the footage they had just watched. An image of their child in the engineer’s womb. 

Their future. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! :) 
> 
> Any guesses as to the baby's gender?


	29. Expectations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! Sorry this took a while to get posted. 
> 
> Thank you so much for all of your comments and kudos on this story! 
> 
> Enjoy! :)

Korina’s once baggy work overalls were now beginning to feel restrictive, caused not only by her developing bump but also by the other pregnancy-related swelling in her breasts and hips, and she was beginning to realize that perhaps she would be taking maternity leave sooner than she had originally planned on. 

Then again, the engineer had never been the type of person to plan anything, because planning included a certain amount of expectation, and Korina had learned at a young age that having expectations carried the risk of disappointment. 

It was entirely possible that she’d had some expectations of life before the loss of her parents, most likely that they’d be around forever, since the innocence of children kept them from the realities of things such as death. There was no way that the seven year old Korina could have anticipated being left without her parents and her home all at once, nor could she have expected Bellis to take her in and rescue her from the clutches of those who would seek to exploit her or cause her harm. 

Although she knew that her parents were long dead she had often thought about them. The engineer had only vague memories of her mother and father, and it didn’t occur to her until much later that being orphaned was not something that she would get over in time. She was sixteen when the finality sank in, realizing all at once that she would never feel their embrace again or to get the answers to all of the questions she had for them. 

Her father had been a miner by trade and his sudden passing had been attributed to the lung damage that he had suffered over the years. At the time of her father’s death the engineer’s mother had been in the early stages of pregnancy with their second child - a younger sibling for Korina, but both mother and child tragically lost their lives during a long and difficult childbirth. 

It was an unlikely scenario, but Korina would be lying if she said that she hadn’t considered the possibility of the same fate befalling her, even though she had faith in the abilities of Dr. Verdi and the rest of the medics to deliver her baby safely. 

At least she wouldn’t be alone. Hux was adamant that he would be present at his child’s birth. 

They had decided to make the pregnancy announcement after their next appointment with Dr. Verdi, assuming that all was well with Korina and the baby. They saw no reason why it wouldn’t be. The next appointment was also significant because they would have the opportunity to discover whether the baby that the engineer was carrying was a boy or a girl. This had been on Korina’s mind since the doctor had mentioned it, even though both soon-to-be parents had expressed the desire that their child was healthy regardless of gender. 

It had been on the General’s mind too. He had been the one to suggest that they make a list of possible baby names - which was trickier than you’d think, thanks to the fact that neither of them had ever entertained the possibility of children in their future. Why would they when they had nothing to base their own parenthood on? 

Korina had been an orphan at seven years old, while Hux was abandoned by a mother he barely knew only to suffer physical, mental, and emotional abuse at the hands of his father for the majority of his childhood, teenage years, and even young-adulthood. 

If the General did have his suspicions as to the gender of his unborn child then he had not indicated it to anybody, although he had predicted that the infant would have his hair and Korina’s eyes. Korina had no mental image of what the infant may look like. That was perhaps part of the reason why she had felt shocked by just how attached she’d become to the tiny life inside her. Feeling such overwhelming affection towards a person she had yet to actually meet took her by surprise and her desire to care for and protect her unborn child was only growing stronger by the day. 

* * *

Captain Mina Vane made her way down the busy hallway in the direction of the row of elevators, her small stature made it easier to maneuver herself through the crowd of personnel heading in the opposite direction, having just exited the elevators themselves. 

She was relieved to find one that was currently unoccupied, slipping inside and running a gloved finger across the control panel until she had located the deck she was headed to, which happened to be quite a way from where she was now, hence the reason she was glad to get an elevator to herself and not have to make any stops along the way. 

Unfortunately just as the automated voice announced the closing of the elevator doors a hand held them open for a figure to slip inside. Mina made no attempt to conceal her annoyance at this last minute interruption although her glare did soften slightly as she realized who was now standing in front of her. 

Lieutenant Mitaka looked a little out of breath, as if he had been running to catch the elevator, which he probably was, “Sorry, didn’t mean to intrude,” he rambled upon sensing Mina’s mood, “I’m due in a meeting shortly and I would have been late had I gotten into the busier elevator.” 

The blonde woman shrugged, “It’s fine, I’m in a bit of a hurry too.” 

“Okay,” the Lieutenant murmured quietly as the elevator began it’s ascent to the upper decks. 

Mina looked up to see the dark haired officer focusing his gaze on the elevator doors. She felt bad when she noticed his cheeks flushed pink underneath the shadow of his cap. He wasn’t to blame for her irritability so she shouldn’t have been so standoffish. 

“Dopheld,” she addressed him by his first name since there was nobody else in the elevator with them, “I’m sorry if I came across as rude just now, it’s not your fault,” the blonde woman explained, “I should have been thanking you for what you did to help Korina.” 

“That’s okay,” he shrugged and continued to face the elevator doors, “Just wanted to help out.” 

The Captain placed a hand on his shoulder and forced him to turn around and look at her, “You did help out, _a lot_ ,” she smiled, “If you hadn’t approached me with that note Stobek dropped we probably wouldn’t have had any physical evidence to confront her with,” the blonde reminded him, “And what you did to entrap her with that recording was very clever. No wonder you were always acing your classes at the Academy.” 

Mitaka blushed, the pink of his cheeks reddening slightly, “Thank you, but I didn’t really do anything.” 

“Hey,” Mina removed her hand from his uniformed shoulder in order to transfer it to his flushed cheek, “We’re all grateful, even the General wants to reward you,” she divulged in an attempt to make him accept the praise, “You helped bring an actual smile to his face!” Mitaka couldn’t help but smile at the idea of Hux smiling. 

Mina had not been surprised to learn of the recent developments in Korina’s relationship with the father of her unborn child, in fact, the morning after the engineer’s little sleepover with the General she had been awaiting her roommate’s return to their shared quarters with a knowing smile on her face, dimples and all. 

Despite the Captain’s understandable apprehension following Hux’s previous behavior towards Korina and the pregnancy, she had to admit that the couple were clearly on the same page now, evident by the ease with which they interacted. And also by the fact that Mina had seen the redhead smiling for the first time ever since she’d begun working for the First Order. 

Although their relationship was still under wraps until after the next doctor’s appointment, when they were in the privacy of certain spaces the redhead would happily seek out Korina’s hand to hold or lips to kiss. He was fond of placing a protective hand over the brunette’s growing bump too. 

It was amazing to see them both more at ease now that Jynna Stobek had been dealt with. 

“Thank you, Dopheld,” Mina smiled warmly before leaning up to place a kiss on the officer’s still flushed cheek. 

The Lieutenant was not expecting such a gesture, and in his surprise he turned his head to look at the blonde woman, unwittingly connecting her lips to his own, rather than his cheek. They stood in stunned silence for a moment before the elevator doors began to open, causing them to separate instantly. 

“This is my stop,” Mina mumbled as she made a swift exit from the elevator, leaving a very confused Mitaka behind. 

* * *

Lieutenant Jynna Stobek was still in a state somewhere between disbelief and outrage. 

This was _ridiculous_ \- a woman of her rank forced to join the cleaning crew on the lower decks, no longer looking pristine with her First Order uniform and sleek updo, instead wearing a very unflattering grey vinyl apron with matching boots and gloves. 

As she scrubbed the shiny black floors - which could easily be done by a cleaning droid, Jynna seethed at the thought of Klovell, victorious over her. She must be finding it awfully amusing to have the Lieutenant on her knees, scrubbing floors when it was she who probably spent the most time on her knees. How could the General be attracted to that excuse for an engineer? 

That thought reminded her of the other part of her punishment - apologizing to Klovell, not just once, but twice. 

The verbal one should be simple enough to pull off. Jynna considered herself a good actress when the situation called for it, and she was confident that she could sound sincere even if her instinct was to unleash her repressed fury upon the desert whore. 

But she had to give the engineer a written apology too. 

Lieutenant Stobek wasn’t sure if she could bring herself to write the words. As far as she was concerned she had nothing to be sorry for. In Jynna’s mind she was being unfairly reprimanded for ‘offending’ the General’s bed warmer, that the campaign of abuse was targeting her rather than the other way around. How could nobody else see what was happening? 

The woman’s lips curled into a wicked smirk as she remembered that she still had an ace up her sleeve, deciding that it was now time to set a new plan in motion, assisted by somebody who would not double cross her - somebody who had something to gain from joining forces with the Lieutenant, and Jynna knew just the person. 

_Klovell may have won the battle, but Stobek was going to win the war._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! :) 
> 
> Who do you think Stobek is going to call in?   
> And what do you think should happen with Mina and Mitaka now?


	30. Self Control

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter before the weekend's over? Yep! :) 
> 
> This one really flowed when writing it and I like how it turned out so I hope you guys do too.

Korina had successfully completed another day’s work and she was looking forward to getting back to her quarters, but first she was meeting Mina in the canteen for dinner. It hadn’t gone unnoticed by the engineer that her roommate had been uncharacteristically quiet for the past few days, although she had no idea what could have prompted this change, knowing that it was not her work nor any quarrel with her roommate. 

“Mina, you okay?” the brunette inquired gently. 

“Yeah, fine,” the blonde pushed some food around her plate, “Just confused.” 

Korina frowned, “About what?” 

Mina looked up from her plate and scouted the area around their table in order to ensure privacy for what she was about to say. “Something happened the other day and I’m not sure how I feel about it,” the blonde sighed before leaning in a little closer to her roommate, “I accidentally kissed Mitaka.” 

“You did what?” the engineer’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, “Wait - what do you mean _accidentally_?” 

“Can we talk about this somewhere a little more private?” the Captain suggested. 

Korina nodded in reply and waited patiently for her roommate to finish eating before the two of them returned to their shared quarters. 

The moment they were behind closed doors the engineer spun to face the smaller woman, “So?” she prompted with a shrug, “Are you going to tell me what exactly happened - and why you never said anything until today?” the brunette took a seat on the edge of her bed. 

Mina sighed and seated herself next to her pregnant roommate, “There was just me and Mitaka in the elevator so I took the opportunity to thank him for everything he did to help with the whole Stobek mess,” the blonde looked at Korina before adding, “And before you ask, I was thanking him with words - nothing more,” the brunette nodded and gestured for the Captain to continue, “I was leaning up to give him a peck on the cheek when he turned suddenly and our lips touched.” 

“Okay, I understand the ‘accidental’ part,” Korina nodded, “But what happened after that?” 

“Nothing. The elevator stopped, we separated, and I got out.” Mina replied. 

“So you haven’t spoken to him about it?” her roommate frowned. 

“I haven’t even seen him since,” the blonde woman explained, “I think he might be avoiding me.” 

Korina suspected that her roommate was correct. Lieutenant Mitaka was probably feeling embarrassed about the whole thing, and the chances of him broaching the subject with Mina were slim. No, it would have to be the Captain who addressed the issue. 

In the year that the two women had lived and worked together on the Finalizer, the engineer had never known Mina to shy away from any type of confrontation or being the one to ask the questions that nobody else wanted to. It was out of character for the blonde woman to be so seemingly nervous about something as trivial as an accidental kiss that, by the sound of it, was hardly a kiss at all. 

“You both need to talk about it,” Korina told her roommate, “And I doubt that Mitaka will be in a hurry to bring it up,” the pregnant woman placed a reassuring hand on the blonde’s shoulder, “If he really is avoiding you then you’ll have to seek him out.” 

“You’re right,” Mina admitted, “But what do I even say to him?” 

“I guess that depends on how you feel about him,” the engineer pointed out, “Over the past few months he’s made it pretty clear that he likes you as more than a friend,” the Captain nodded as the brunette continued, “If the elevator ‘kiss’ meant nothing then you need to set him straight before he gets his hopes up.” 

“You’re right,” the blonde woman admitted. 

“Unless there’s a chance that you return his feelings.” 

Korina watched for her roommate’s reaction, expecting to be met with the usual answer whenever she brought up the Lieutenant’s obvious soft spot for the blonde woman. Opening her mouth to voice her standard denial of anything beyond platonic feelings for the dark haired officer, Mina faltered. 

“I...I...I don’t know! I’m so confused,” she held her head in her hands, “I’m not saying that I _do_ have feelings for him, but I can’t say that I _don’t_ feel something.” 

“Well I can’t make your decisions for you,” Korina pulled her roommate into a one armed embrace, “But he’s a really nice guy. You could do a lot worse.” 

* * *

For the sixth time that evening, Jynna Stobek began composing the written apology that she was required to produce as part of her punishment from General Hux. It might have been easier had the apology been to the fearsome redhead, but instead it was for his... _whatever_ the engineer was to him, she didn’t know. 

They certainly seemed closer than mere acquaintances, perhaps a ‘friends with benefits’ situation, although if that were true some things didn’t exactly add up. 

Hux and Klovell had no basis for friendship as far as Jynna could tell - the pair were not of similar rank or working closely, nor did they share a similar background. Yes, the General had confessed that he and the engineer had slept together following Stobek’s mishap with the orcasite root, but why would he continue any sort of relationship after that? 

In the years that she had served the First Order the Lieutenant had never known the General to have anyone close to him that you could consider a friend or lover. It was no secret that other officers and crew members would often engage in casual sex with each other, not really having many other options - they were stuck on a star destroyer in the middle of space! Not once had anybody witnessed such behavior from Hux, whether he was on a planet or a ship, and nobody had ever been seen around his private quarters. 

There had even been the odd joke from stormtroopers about the redhead being a sexless robot. One popular theory was simply that the General was unable to _‘perform’_ and as such was stuck in a perpetual state of sexual frustration, prompting his well known reputation for being irritable and bad tempered. 

Lieutenant Stobek tried not to dwell on it too much but not being able to mention anything about Hux’s baby comment was testing her self control. Was the engineer really pregnant? And if she truly was with child then how could the General be sure that he was the father? 

Jynna wasn’t stupid, she knew that if she breathed a word of this that she’d be demoted immediately, maybe even fired. She needed to tip the scales back in her favor but she’d require help and it was too risky to recruit somebody onboard the Finalizer. No, she would need _outside_ help. 

Looking down at the page of script in front of her the Lieutenant gave it a quick once over before deciding that it was as good an apology as the engineer deserved. Slipping the folded paper into an envelope she exited her quarters and headed to Hux’s office to hand over the written apology. 

* * *

General Hux was resting comfortably on the couch with Millicent happily purring in his lap when Korina entered his quarters that evening. 

Upon entering the living area the engineer couldn’t help but smile at the scene before her. It was no longer strange to see the redhead in such a casual setting because she was able to separate the fearsome General of the First Order from the man he was in private. 

_Armitage Hux, the man she loved, the father of her unborn child._

The man in front of her now, casually dressed and smiling contentedly as he petted the ginger feline in his lap, was more to her than anybody else had ever been. Never in her life had Korina imagined finding somebody that made her feel so complete. She was never the kind of girl who got swept up in the stories of fairytale princesses and star-crossed lovers that her mother would read to her before bed. She never had any fantasy of some handsome hero rescuing her from the harsh Jakku desert. 

Yet she had somehow found a man who was content to hold her in his arms, to listen to her hopes and fears, and to show her such affection. Hux made her feel loved, not just with his kisses and touches but simple little things such as cooking her dinner, drawing her a bath, and draping a blanket around her shoulders when she was cold. 

“Come here,” Hux beckoned her from his spot on the couch. 

“You two look cozy,” Korina smiled at Millicent’s contented purring. 

“We were waiting for you,” Hux replied, draping his free arm over her shoulders as the engineer curled into his side. 

“Well I hope I didn’t keep you both waiting for too long,” the brunette smiled and petted under the feline’s chin, “Mina had something she needed to talk about,” she explained before adding, “But that’s confidential.” 

“Of course,” the redhead leaned in for a chaste kiss. He sighed as he pulled away again, “As much as I’d like to spend the evening kissing you, there’s something I have to tell you.” Korina nodded and gestured for him to continue, “I’m sorry to bring this up now, but you should know that I received your written apology from Lieutenant Stobek before I left my office.” 

The brunette followed Hux’s gaze across the room to a side table. She got up from the couch and walked over, spotting the plain grey envelope as she approached. The engineer wasn’t surprised to see that the paper inside was also standard issue, light grey with First Order insignia on the top left corner of the page. 

Korina walked back over to the couch and returned to her previous position beside Hux so that he could also see whatever Stobek had written in her apology. The Lieutenant’s writing was neat script with a flourish on certain letters. 

-

_Miss Klovell,_

_Please accept my apologies for my recent behavior towards you, it was completely unacceptable and I understand now that it caused you considerable distress. I hope that you do not take my actions as a personal insult as that was not my intention. As an employee of the First Order I should have behaved in a much more dignified manner, and I assure you that my behavior will be completely professional in future._

_Sincerely,_

_Lieutenant J. Stobek_

_-_

Korina turned to Hux as soon as she finished reading, “Well, that’s anything but sincere, but I get the feeling it’s the best I’m going to get from her.” The redhead nodded in agreement. He’d seen his fair share of written apologies over the years and if it were anybody else he might find the words at least partly genuine, but knowing the author of the letter that was unlikely. He could hardly complain though. 

Stobek had done as she was asked. She had submitted a written apology to Korina, and although her words were almost certainly phony, she had not said anything that could be considered overly sarcastic or offensive. 

The brunette replaced the letter in the envelope and placed it on the coffee table. She leaned back into Armitage’s touch, enjoying the warmth of the redhead’s body and the sound of Millicent’s relaxed purring before turning her head to whisper in the man’s ear, “Feel free to resume the kissing.” 

Hux didn’t need any clarification. His lips were on hers in an instant. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! :)


	31. Calm Before The Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! :) 
> 
> Sorry about the long wait for this chapter. 
> 
> It's been a rough week for me personally and since I was already anxious I got worried that the last chapter hadn't gone down well based on lack of response, so it's taken me days to piece together something that I hope is satisfactory. I've just been worried about my work not being up to standard and so I've been super critical of everything that I've written. 
> 
> Hope you like the new chapter. :)

“I’m getting to like waking up next to you,” Armitage murmured against the brunette’s bare shoulder. 

He couldn’t see the smile on Korina’s face but he heard the sigh of contentment as the sleepy young woman acknowledged his words. It was still early but Hux would have to get ready for his day soon enough, and so he was making the most of the time he had with his lover before duty called. 

The engineer was aware that she too would have to get back to her quarters and ready for work soon, but for now she was content to soak in the blissful contentment of being surrounded by Hux’s arms. The redhead’s face was nuzzling the skin between her neck and shoulder, her back pulled flush against his chest, leaning into it as she chased his warmth. 

“Mm, well it won’t be long before I move into your quarters,” Korina yawned, “If you still want me to.” 

“Of course I do,” Hux replied instantly, peering over the brunette’s shoulder in order to see her face, “We’re going to be a family,” he stated with a smile, “You and I, and this little one,” the redhead placed a hand over the engineer’s gradually expanding abdomen. 

Korina rolled over to face the General, “Let’s see if you’re still so enthusiastic once you’re the sleep deprived father of a newborn.” 

“I’m prepared to do my part,” Hux informed her, “I won’t shy away from the feeding and changing.” 

“You’ve really embraced this whole pregnancy and parenthood thing, haven’t you?” the engineer lightly traced patterns onto his bare chest, avoiding the scars there which, although long healed were still emotionally fragile. 

It was unspoken between them but she knew that his desire to be a good father stemmed from his own experience of being a bastard child with a cruel and abusive father. The General wanted to be the complete opposite of Brendol Hux, and he would do so by being the most loving, supportive, and understanding father he could be. 

The General kissed the brunette’s forehead softly, “I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t scared by how new and unfamiliar this situation is, but I swear that I will do my best to be a good father to our child.” 

“This is all new to me too, Armitage,” Korina cupped his face in her hands, “But at least I’m not doing this alone, I’ll have you beside me.” 

“Yes, you will,” Hux locked eyes with the brunette, “And for the record, there’s nobody I’d rather be doing this with.” 

The engineer smiled happily, leaving the General mesmerized. He loved the way her brown orbs sparkled when she smiled and the subtle twitch of her nose whenever she laughed. Somewhere at the back of his mind the redhead wondered just how he could be deserving of a woman such as her. 

Without realizing it this beautiful young woman had been quietly mending his broken soul every time she had shown him kindness, patience, forgiveness, and love. Hux thought back to the few times he had felt happy - or thought he did - but now recognized those feelings as pride over gaining a higher rank or satisfaction at having the best Academy scores. 

The General’s routine was so well ingrained that he didn’t need to see the clock to know that it was almost time to get out of bed and prepare for the day ahead before parting ways with the engineer. Seizing the opportunity while he still could, the redhead gently tugged her closer in order to envelop her in a passionate yet gentle lip lock. 

“I love you,” he told her upon reluctantly pulling apart. Korina gazed into his sapphire orbs with a look of pure adoration. 

“I love you too, Armitage.” 

* * *

Lieutenant Stobek yawned and stretched as she awoke to the buzz of her alarm clock, the timer of which was also programmed to switch on the bedside lamp - a device intended to mimic daylight. She shifted into a sitting position and yawned again, slowly growing accustomed to the light that now illuminated her quarters. A quick glance around the room identified the blinking light of the Lieutenant’s datapad indicating a new notification. 

Jynna threw back the bedsheets and hurriedly retrieved the device, optimistic that this message was the one she’d been waiting for - a response to her plea for assistance in dealing with her _‘pest control’_ issue, said issue being Klovell and her apparent hold over General Hux. Stobek felt a jolt of excitement as the screen displayed the notification - a message from an unknown sender. 

The woman was well aware that she had to be incredibly careful now not to have her plans foiled again, especially with the threat of demotion - or worse, Jynna had encrypted her messages to her co-conspirator, requiring a password to be entered in order to read them. Typing in the predetermined password the Lieutenant waited patiently for the screen to load. 

**_I was pleased to receive your last message. I am more than happy to assist you in your endeavors, although unfortunately the earliest I can get to meet you is three weeks away. Should that be acceptable then let me know and I shall proceed with travel plans._ **

The Lieutenant grinned as she typed out a quick reply before encrypting and sending the message. 

* * *

It had taken almost an entire week but suddenly Captain Mina Vane found herself sharing the same space with the person who’d been avoiding her since their elevator encounter - Lieutenant Mitaka. 

They were not in the elevator this time, although it was no less awkward thanks to the fact that both of them were sitting in the medbay being tended to by a pair of medical droids who were silently performing their duties, those duties being the prodding and poking of needles and wires as part of the First Order’s regular mandatory health checks. 

Both droids were either overlooking the tension in the room or simply didn’t detect any. 

The bed that Mina was seated upon was directly opposite that of Mitaka, who mirrored her position. They were both fully dressed from the waist down but their top halves were stripped down to their undershirts in order to give the medical droids better access to perform the required tests. 

“You’ve been avoiding me,” the blonde woman spoke first upon both droids leaving the room. 

“I thought it was the opposite,” the Lieutenant stated, “I figured you would want to ignore what happened in the elevator.” 

Mina shook her head, “No, I wanted to talk to you.” 

“Then talk,” he shrugged, before nodding down at the wires attached to his arms and chest, “It’s not like we’re going anywhere any time soon.” 

“The reason I didn’t talk to you right away was because I felt confused,” the blonde woman explained, “My only intention in the elevator was to kiss your cheek in gratitude, but I don’t blame you for what happened instead - I know it was accidental,” she continued, “It’s just that afterwards I realized that I needed to address whatever I did or didn’t feel towards you.” 

Mitaka lifted his gaze to meet hers, “And?” 

Mina sighed, bracing herself for what she was about to say. 

“Look, I’m not going to pretend that I was unaware of your feelings towards me, and I’ll admit that I’ve actively avoided you in the past for that very reason," the Captain took a deep breath, “I know that it was a stupid way to go about it but I was trying to avoid hurting your feelings.” 

“So you avoided me because you didn’t think I could handle rejection?” the dark haired officer frowned. 

“Dopheld, you always seemed so besotted that I worried your impression of me was too romanticized, that you’d be disappointed when you realized that I wasn’t the person you’d built me up to be in your head.” 

“Kind of seems like you were afraid of rejection yourself,” the Lieutenant pointed out, “That I’d be the one doing the rejecting once I’d gotten to know the real you.” Mina sighed, “Yeah, I guess.” 

Mitaka looked pensive for a few moments before meeting the blonde woman’s gaze once more, neither of them talking for what seemed like hours before the man offered a small smile, “Mina, I like you as a person - not just as a romantic prospect,” he told her, “I can handle rejection, but I’d really like for us to be friends.” 

Mina was a little surprised by how calm and confident he sounded. 

“I would like that,” she replied with a smile, “I’d like that very much.” 

The Lieutenant seemed cautious, “So we can be friends? It’s not awkward for you?” 

Mina shook her head, “No, it’s not awkward, but I should make it clear that I’m not ruling out something more than friendship in the future.” 

“Understood,” Mitaka nodded with a smile.   
  
  


* * *

Korina’s datapad chimed with her next repair from Officer Gil. 

It looked to be simple enough - a loose pipe in the corridor leading to the nearest gym. With any luck it would be her final job of the day because the effects of pregnancy were already taking a toll on her body. The engineer had noticed over the past few days that she got tired a lot easier and that her body ached more often after being on the move for the majority of her workday. 

She could deal with it though. Her next appointment with Dr. Verdi was scheduled for the following week and there was a good chance that he’d be signing off on her medical leave. 

There was also the possibility of learning the gender of her unborn child, which was something that she was still undecided on, mostly because whenever she envisioned her child it was impossible to tell whether the infant was male or female. Korina found her mind drifting to thoughts of Armitage with their child. He had told her that he didn’t have a preferred gender so long as the baby was healthy, and she believed him. That didn't stop her from wondering how the General would interact with his child. 

Would he be followed around by a miniature version of himself? Would he would dote on a daughter? 

Placing her tools down in front of her the engineer examined the loose pipe, quickly coming to the conclusion that a new clip would be sufficient to rectify the issue. Since the clip was a relatively small part she always carried some spares in her toolbox and so she could fix the replacement now without needing to go and fetch parts or put in a request for them. 

As she began to affix the new part the engineer got the feeling that she was being watched. Initially shaking it off as a symptom of her tiredness she continued to work. Upon completing the repair Korina went about her usual routine of packing away her tools and marking the job as complete on her datapad before sending the notification to Officer Gil back at the maintenance department. 

The sound of footsteps approaching prompted the brunette to look up from the screen of her datapad, her brown eyes widened a little as she registered Lieutenant Stobek walking towards her. 

Bracing herself for some sort of offensive comment or gesture, Korina was stunned as the woman calmly continued past her and through the double doors of the gym, not even sparing a glance over her shoulder at the engineer. 

She should be relieved and pleasantly surprised by this turn of events, but instead all she could think was: 

_‘That was weird...’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading - much appreciated! :) 
> 
> It's your last chance to guess what the gender of Korina and Hux's baby is...


	32. Company

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy the new chapter - it's one of my longer ones and kind of Hux/Korina centric. :) 
> 
> Thank you for your comments and kudos. I really appreciate the love for this story. 
> 
> It's time for the gender reveal...

Today was the day, the day that the gender of the baby that Korina was carrying would be revealed. 

The engineer couldn’t believe how quickly the weeks had passed by, but she supposed that the passage of time had gone unnoticed while her attention had been focused on other things, such as the Stobek situation, and the declaration of feelings between herself and Hux. 

Despite being increasingly exhausted during the week leading up to today’s appointment, the expectant mother had been wide awake for well over an hour. Not wanting to disturb her roommate earlier than necessary - knowing that Mina had a long shift that day, the engineer remained tucked up beneath her blanket, grabbing one of the pregnancy books from her bedside table. 

She was around the halfway point of the reading material titled, _‘Pregnancy Explained: Tips From Real Mothers’_ that included a lot of useful information. Some of the pictures within the book were rather graphic, but overall it was good to have the facts in simple terms rather than the medical jargon that Dr. Verdi would often spout. 

Flipping to the page she had just finished reading last night, Korina began to read the next paragraph which began to describe the baby’s development at her current stage of around eighteen weeks. She was intrigued by one of the sub-sections entitled, _‘What Can My Baby Hear?’_ and immediately began reading. 

The text explained that at this stage of pregnancy the baby’s ears have formed and they can hear sounds outside of the womb, including their parents’ voices. Korina constantly found herself amazed by all the little progressions in her pregnancy and now she had yet another thing to be excited by. 

“Can you hear me?” she spoke to her increasingly rounded bump. 

“Yeah, I hear you,” Mina’s voice came from across the room, “What’s up?” 

Korina shook her head slowly, “Sorry Mina, I was talking to the baby.” 

The shuffling of bed-sheets was followed by a yawn as the Captain’s face came into view. 

The engineer watched with some amusement as her roommate clambered out of her bed wearing a pair of pyjamas that appeared baggier than they actually were thanks to the woman’s short stature. It was safe to assume that the blonde had moved around a lot in her sleep based on the state of her loose braid that had been neat and intact the previous evening. 

“Did you say you were talking to the baby?” Mina frowned, rubbing her tired eyes as she perched herself on the edge of Korina’s bed. 

The brunette nodded, gesturing to the book in her hand and explaining what she’d just read. 

“Hey there,” the Captain lowered her face to her roommate’s bump, “I’m your Aunt Mina,” she introduced herself to the engineer’s unborn child, “And even though your mommy is going to be moving in with your daddy you’ll still be seeing a lot of me.” 

“Is that an offer of babysitting duties?” Korina quirked a brow. 

The blonde woman offered no response to that question, instead asking one of her own, “Can you feel anything yet, like kicking?” The brunette shook her head, “No, but apparently if it’s your first pregnancy that happens a little later on.” 

Mina nodded in understanding, “So...are you going to find out the gender today?” The engineer nodded, “As long as the baby’s healthy neither of us has a preference, but we both decided it might be useful to narrow down possible names,” she explained, “There’s currently around twenty names on our list and it’s a pretty even mix of both genders.” 

“Well I hope that you included ‘Mina’ on your list.” 

“That depends on whether you’re including ‘Korina’ on yours.” 

The Captain frowned, “I don’t have a list.” 

“Maybe you should consider starting one,” Korina grinned, “It could be tricky finding a name that goes with _‘Mitaka’_ ,” she pointed out. 

The blonde woman responded by gently tossing a pillow at her roommate. 

* * *

At this point Korina had lost track of how many times she’d been to the medbay in the past few months but it was definitely enough to become familiar with the staff there, especially Peg at the front desk, and Faun, the nurse who’d taken care of her following the fainting that had occurred upon the discovery that she was pregnant. 

Now she was back in Dr. Verdi’s office once again. The bespectacled man was inputting some data into the computer on his desk, murmuring to himself as he did so. The General had yet to arrive for their appointment so Korina occupied herself by taking in her surroundings. Aside from the certificates on the wall she wondered whether the doctor had any personal items in his workspace. 

There was a few books - all medical, a casual jacket hanging up on a coat rack beside a white lab coat, and a framed picture of a jungle landscape. Korina thought that perhaps it reminded him of his home planet - wherever that was. One thing that she noticed was the contents of the wastepaper basket, which appeared to consist mostly of empty protein bar wrappers, suggesting that the man was often too busy for a proper meal and ate on the go a lot. 

The engineer was pulled from her thoughts by a knock at the door of the doctor’s office. She knew that it was the General, but it didn’t prevent a wide grin from spreading across her face at the sight of him entering the room, looking so delighted to see him that you would never guess that they’d spoken just a few hours earlier. The redhead returned her smile albeit a subtle one as he took a seat beside her. 

“So, how are we feeling today?” the doctor asked as he finally looked up from his notes, “Excited?” 

Hux frowned slightly at the man’s uncharacteristic enthusiasm, “I’m eager to see whether everything is progressing as it should.” 

“Of course, let’s take a look at how Korina’s feeling lately,” the bespectacled man smiled before grabbing the engineer’s medical file from a pile on the corner of his desk, “Are you managing to eat and drink okay?” the brunette nodded as he continued his list of questions. 

The questions were the standard ones that the doctor would ask at every appointment. He quizzed the pregnant woman on everything from whether she’d had any aches and pains to whether she could manage to use the toilet okay. Some of the inquiries seemed irrelevant to the General but he kept his mouth shut, knowing that despite his _quirks_ the other man was incredibly good at his job. 

Even though he avoided trips there whenever he could, Hux was dedicated to maintaining the highest standards aboard his ship, and that included the medbay. If his crew members and his troops were to perform to their full potential then they needed first and foremost to be healthy, both mentally and physically. 

Korina could tell by his tapping foot and fidgety hands that Hux was eager to get to the ultrasound scan. The redhead was out of his seat in an instant when Dr. Verdi suggested that they move to the other side of the room where the examination area was already set up. 

“You know the drill,” the bespectacled man smiled at the engineer as she lay down on the bed and adjusted her clothing as usual. 

“Ready?” Korina inquired as she linked her hand with Hux’s. 

“Absolutely,” the redhead replied, “I wonder how much the baby’s grown since our last appointment.” 

“Let’s see,” the doctor said as he began prepping Korina’s stomach as usual. 

The room was eerily quiet as the trio turned their attention to the screen as the fuzzy grey visual came into focus. Gasps from both expectant parents broke the silence in the room as the image of what was now recognizable as a baby made small kicking movements. Dr. Verdi pointed to the screen, “Oh look, they’re sucking their thumb.” 

“Wow,” Korina breathed, unable to tear her eyes away from the beautiful vision in front of her, “Does everything look okay?” she asked suddenly, giving Hux’s hand a gentle squeeze. The General looked down at her and noticed the tears forming in her brown eyes. He was relieved to realize that these were happy tears, and although no tears gathered in his eyes he felt a lump in his throat and a warmth in his chest at the sight of their unborn child. 

“Everything looks absolutely fine,” the doctor confirmed, “Growth rate is normal, heartbeat is nice and strong, and we’re seeing a decent amount of movement,” he switched on the audio so that Hux and Korina could hear their baby’s strong heartbeat for themselves. Hearing it still felt surreal but it was also incredibly comforting to know that their unborn child was happy and healthy. 

Ignoring the close proximity of the doctor, the General dropped a tender kiss on Korina’s forehead. “I love you,” the young woman whispered. Hux smiled softly and caressed her cheek, “I love you too.” 

Dr. Verdi didn’t want to intrude on their moment so he waited patiently, taking the opportunity to adjust his glasses before they slipped down his nose. When the couple turned their attention back to the doctor he smiled and gestured towards the screen, “Did you decide on whether or not you want to know the baby’s gender?” 

Hux and Korina locked eyes, smiling and nodding their heads eagerly. 

The bespectacled man returned his attention to the engineer’s stomach, “Let’s see if we can get a good angle,” he said as he shifted position slightly, “Now...let me just double check,” the doctor eyed the screen for what seemed like minutes before turning to the couple with a smile, “Do you have a preference?” 

The brunette shook her head in response, feeling the General squeeze her hand anxiously. The redhead’s expression was one of irritation, almost pained by the suspense, and Dr. Verdi was aware that he should get right to the point before the other man had a nervous breakdown. 

“Congratulations, you’re expecting a baby boy!” 

* * *

_A son._ Hux was going to have a son. 

The General had been in a daze since leaving the medbay and parting ways with Korina in order to return to the bridge. Thanks to his many years of experience in commanding his crew the man had managed to successfully complete his shift despite his body and mind working on autopilot for the most part. 

Not so long ago the prospect of returning to his quarters after a long shift made him feel lonely and depressed, but now things were different, and although she hadn’t moved in with him yet he always looked forward to having Korina’s company on the evenings that she visited. 

Hux had never been one to socialize - not even having friends as a child or when he was at the Academy, and in the years following he had been so focused on working his way up the ranks that being alone had not bothered him, believing that any social activities would be a hindrance to his plans for greatness. 

On the rare occasions that his own company was insufficient he would seek out casual sex. The General had always been a strategist and these occasions were no different, with Hux finding it convenient to satisfy his need for company while also dealing with any sexual frustration, and with both issues solved he was free to continue focusing on his work. 

With Korina he had found the joy in simple things such as sharing casual chatter over dinner or relaxing with mugs of tea while enjoying deeper conversations. He liked those moments when they could just sit comfortably without speaking, the only sound being Millicent’s purring. 

Although their relationship had become physical it was equally pleasurable on the occasions when they had lain in the General’s bed wrapped up in each others arms, doing nothing but savoring the presence of the other person. He had never entertained the idea of soulmates but he thought that Korina might be his. 

Now they were going to be parents to a son, and Hux was more determined than ever to give him the fatherly love that he’d been denied. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! :) 
> 
> Where do you see things going from here?


	33. Out of the Blue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay in finishing this chapter - it's been a tiring week! 
> 
> This is another one of those chapters that I have a love/hate relationship with.   
> That being said, I think it's done a decent job of setting up the next few chapters. 
> 
> Thank you for all the comments and kudos - it makes me happy to know that you guys are enjoying the story so far. :)

General Hux had been floating on a cloud of pure contentment in the week since he had discovered that he and Korina were expecting a baby boy. There was never any preference for him - he would have been equally thrilled to discover that their unborn child was a daughter. Ever since he had gotten the news his mind had been conjuring up a more detailed image of his unborn child. 

The mental image of his son was that of a boy with Korina’s facial features - excluding the child’s eyes, which matched the sapphire orbs of his father, along with Hux’s pale complexion and distinctive copper hair. 

Armitage had decided early on in the pregnancy that he wanted his child to have all of the things he’d never had growing up, not fancy gifts or material things, just little words and actions that left no doubt about his parents’ love for him. 

The General had a vague memory of being hugged by his mother when he was very young, but he had never known any sort of affection or compassion from his father, not even eliciting a proud smile upon every progression in rank made by his only son, even if he were Brendol’s bastard child. Not once was the elder Hux’s touch anything but an act of abuse. 

His stepmother, Maratelle rarely paid any attention to him, which was somewhat understandable given the fact that Armitage was a physical reminder of her husband’s infidelity, mocking her inability to bear a child of her own. Her words were often cruel and venomous, and although they were equally painful at least they did not leave the bruises on his body that his father’s fists did. Of course, it was not only fists that marked his pale skin, evidenced by an assortment of since healed cigarette burns and the crisscrossed scars left by lashings from a whip or a belt. 

Armitage found nowadays that one of his favorite things to do was to hug Korina. The idea of hugging anybody had always made him uncomfortable in the past, even freaking out on one occasion when a woman had tried to embrace him following a sexual encounter. 

But not with Korina. 

The General had never felt as peaceful as he did within the comfort of her arms - her warmth and her scent felt like home to him. He liked to think of how safe and comforted their son would be in his mother's arms, but Hux wanted his son to find his father's embrace as much of a comfort. All his life Armitage had attempted to dodge any physical contact with his father for fear of the pain and humiliation, and he didn't ever want his own child to feel the same way. 

And they wouldn't. 

* * *

Korina was currently in the middle of what would be her last shift on the Finalizer for the foreseeable future. Starting tomorrow she would be signed off on medical leave by Dr. Verdi and afterwards she and Hux would be announcing her pregnancy to everyone, or rather he would make the announcement while Korina watched and waited for the crew's reaction. Surprisingly, there had not been any word from Lieutenant Stobek since the General had issued his warning. 

She should have been relieved by the officer’s absence, but something about the complete silence from Stobek felt unsettling. 

The engineer bent down to grab something from her toolbox and grimaced at the tightness of her overalls against her nineteen week bump. She was willing her shift to go faster in order to return to the quarters that she shared with Mina, where she could change into something looser. 

One of the things that she’d never known about her roommate was that Mina enjoyed needle-craft, apparently something that she learned from her grandmother, and the Captain had cheerfully informed her a few days ago that she had been working on a knitted blanket for the baby. Korina was not allowed to see the blanket until it was completed, so all she knew was that her roommate had mentioned adding in some blue accents now that they knew the baby’s gender. 

The mention of the blanket had brought with it the realization that Korina would have to start gathering all the things she would need for her newborn, such as clothing, bottles, a crib, perhaps a stroller. That last one conjured up a mental image that made her giggle a little; visualizing Hux pacing the bridge in full uniform while pushing his son’s stroller, yelling orders as quietly as possible while rocking the baby gently to sleep. 

The engineer was nervous about tomorrow’s pregnancy announcement, not for the announcement itself but for the reactions that it drew from everybody else, and she had been trying to prepare herself for what those reactions might be. Her best guess was that the majority of the crew would see her as someone who was willing to sleep her way to the top, which would no doubt be backed up by Stobek’s false claims over the past year. 

The chances of anyone seeing the General as a fatherly figure were slim. He was, however, a powerful man with strong Imperial roots who had - by his own admission, been scouted as a prospective husband for at least two similarly powerful women. The idea of Hux giving up more power and influence, as well as potential riches and resources, for raising a baby out of wedlock with a random engineer from Jakku seemed rather unlikely. 

The more plausible explanation would involve Korina being some sort of temptress who had successfully managed to trick her superior into bed and then ‘accidentally’ fallen pregnant. Perhaps they would assume that she had blackmailed the General into keeping her - and the child - around. 

_But did she really care what the rest of the crew thought?_

The most important people knew and they had no issue with the situation. 

The brunette’s stomach growled as she eyed the time on her datapad, noticing that it was lunchtime and she could head straight to the canteen once her current job was completed. As if sensing her thoughts the control panel in front of her lit up with a single chime followed by a mechanical whirring. The brunette’s lips turned into a satisfied smile as the display showed that the panel was now running at full power. 

Her stomach growled again, “Yeah, I know,” she muttered under her breath as she marked the repair as completed, “Time to eat!” 

* * *

Jynna had to remind herself to keep the smile from her face lest she alert anyone to her scheming. There had been some very welcome news the previous evening when her newly acquired partner in crime had alerted her that their arrival on the Finalizer would be earlier than expected - with any luck the following evening. 

Having her ally onboard would make things so much easier. Stobek wasn’t bothered about the engineer - she could handle Klovell on her own, but it would not be so easy to slip under the General’s radar now that he had threatened her immediate removal, should she divulge to anybody else onboard that he had knocked up one of his crew members. 

The Lieutenant was very pleased with herself for finding a loophole in Hux’s ultimatum. The redhead had forbade her from revealing his baby news to any other crew members onboard the Finalizer, but he had said nothing about anybody _outside_ of the ship... 

It had to be somebody who disliked the General and who would be able to challenge him with relative ease. This person would ideally be strongly in favor of the First Order and therefore be motivated to return it to it’s former glory by eliminating the individuals who tainted it. 

That was when she’d realized that the ideal person to deal with Hux had been right under her nose all along. 

* * *

“Attention!” 

Every person in the room turned to the General as he stood in his usual position on the bridge. It was mid-morning and he had deemed it the ideal time to make his announcement to his crew. 

Casually clothed in standard issue sweater and lounge pants, Korina stood nervously to one side awaiting her cue to approach the redhead, whose raised voice had caused several crew members to look alarmed, probably expecting some unlucky officer to be reprimanded in front of the entire bridge crew. 

“I have an announcement to make about a personal matter and I expect every one of you to listen carefully because I will _not_ repeat myself,” Hux narrowed his eyes before continuing, “My personal life does not concern you, but in order to ensure no false information is spread through mindless gossip, I have an announcement to make.” 

The majority of the bridge crew looked confused by the General’s words. Others looked equal parts curious and apprehensive.

Korina felt her pulse quicken as the redhead resumed his speech. 

“I, General Hux of the First Order, am in a romantic relationship with a crew member onboard the Finalizer,” several shocked gasps were silenced with a look from the redhead, “Furthermore, we are pleased to be expecting our first child,” he beckoned Korina, “You may or may not know of Miss Klovell. She has worked as part of the engineering department for the past year.” 

Too afraid to voice their surprise, the gathered employees could only look on with wide eyes and slack jaws as the fearsome General took the brunette’s hand in his own before placing his spare one protectively over her noticeable bump. 

“Unfortunately, over the past year there have been some malicious rumors circulated about Miss Klovell, and although the originator of these false claims has been identified and reprimanded, I want to make myself _absolutely_ clear,” Hux ran a threatening gaze over the crowd, “I will not tolerate any behavior which is in any way offensive to myself and Miss Klovell, whether words or actions, and being caught doing so will earn you an official reprimand.” 

_Stunned silence..._

“Do I make myself clear?” Hux barked at the gathered crowd. 

A chorus of _‘Yes, General’_ echoed throughout the bridge. 

“Very well, return to your positions - you’re all dismissed!” the crew all scurried back to their stations. 

Hux summoned Mitaka to his side before instructing the Lieutenant to escort Korina back to her quarters. The officer was more than happy to do so, well aware that the engineer shared those quarters with Mina, giving him the small hope that perhaps he would cross paths with the blonde woman. 

* * *

It was late, and Hux was in his office completing some reports that had been flagged as _‘time sensitive’_ on his datapad, feeling tiredness creeping in but determined to file his last report before returning to his quarters for the evening. The corridor outside was silent, the late hour contributing to the lack of stormtroopers and First Order personnel passing through. 

Even when he did register the echo of approaching footsteps, Hux expected it to be a crew member passing by his office on their way down the hallway, especially since nobody ever visited his office so late in the evening - most didn’t even wish to visit during regular working hours! 

But the purposeful knock at his office door suggested that whoever it was had good reason to bother him. 

“Enter!” the General called from his desk. 

The click of boots across the hard floor of the General’s office was of no alarm, nor was the tall shadow in the dimly lit room, and although he found it annoying and impatient, neither did the sound of the newcomer clearing their throat. What _did_ concern the redhead, however, was the sudden aroma of cologne and cigars that cast his mind back to his father’s quarters onboard the Absolution. 

That was where his father would entertain his friends, the majority of the time that _‘entertainment’_ was the bullying, beating, and belittling of young Armitage. 

_“Good evening, General Hux,” came an eerily familiar voice, “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! :)
> 
> Sorry about the cliffhanger...


	34. Mind Games

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally finished another chapter! :)   
> I wasn't stuck on the actually story but it was difficult finding the time to write this week. 
> 
> Anyway, hopefully this reads okay.   
> I'm aware that some parts may be off and if so I'll correct them when I can. 
> 
> Thanks again for the kudos! :)

Hux’s gaze shifted from his datapad to the older man standing in front of his desk. 

Allegiant General Pryde, a man that the redhead had not seen or spoken to in several years, and for good reason. The man with the greying hair and steely eyes, although an officer of the First Order, was one of the remnants of the Imperial navy and served alongside his late father, Brendol Hux. 

Pryde was just one of the many faces that had taunted Armitage in his youth, although his contribution to the younger Hux’s childhood torment had been small in comparison to others. That being said, there weren’t many men whom the General loathed with such animosity - at least not many left alive, as he did the one in front of him. 

“Allegiant General, I was not aware of your arrival,” Hux wasn’t about to let himself appear bothered by the man’s sudden appearance, so he spoke in a measured tone, keeping his face impassive, “Had I known of your visit I would have greeted you at the hangar.” “There was really no need,” Pryde smirked and approached the General’s desk, “From what I hear you’ve been a busy man.” 

“I’m often a busy man,” Hux replied matter-of-factly, “I command an entire star destroyer.” 

A look of amusement briefly crossed the older man’s face, “True, but I was referring to your personal life,” he continued, “I hear congratulations are in order.” 

“News travels awfully fast,” Hux stated, “It’s been barely eight hours since we made the announcement.” Pryde smirked, “I have my sources, General,” he replied cryptically. 

There was something in the Allegiant General’s tone that Hux couldn’t quite narrow down, which was especially frustrating since the redhead considered himself to have excellent perceptive skills. 

“I must say...” Pryde had a dangerous look on his face, “...I wonder what your father would have to say about all of this?” 

“That man never approved of anything that I did, I see no reason why this would be any different,” the redhead replied icily, “Fortunately he’s dead and gone, and besides, I’d have no interest in hearing the opinions of a man whose parenting - or lack thereof, is not something I wish to emulate.” 

The older man didn’t bother waiting for an invitation to sit down - not that he was likely to, sinking into the chair in front of the General’s desk, “You might deny it but you’re certainly proving to be your father’s son.” 

Hux spoke through gritted teeth, “What do you mean by that, Pryde?” 

“An _engineer_ \- really, Armitage?” the man’s thin lips curled into a wicked smile, “It’s a step up from a kitchen woman, I suppose,” he raised a brow towards the younger man before adding, “Equally willing to open their legs though, wouldn’t you agree?” 

“How dare you insult Korina that way!” Hux was incensed, as he usually was whenever somebody insinuated that the engineer was little more than a bed warmer that the General had unintentionally ‘knocked up’ during one of their amorous encounters, “And _do not_ compare me to my father!” 

“How could I not?” the Allegiant General shrugged nonchalantly, "Brendol’s bastard is having a bastard of his own.” 

The redhead took a step towards Pryde, looming over the seated officer, “This is _nothing_ like that,” Hux spat, “I am _not_ my father and Korina is _not_ some servant,” another step forward and the toes of their boots were touching, “We are together, we love each other, and although it is true that we did not plan on having a child, we are both happy about it and very much looking forward to parenthood.” 

“It seems I’ve hit a nerve,” the older man stated with a mocking tone. 

General Hux raised a brow, “Did you come here just to offend me?” he asked, “Because I’d like to get back to my work and then retire to my quarters for the evening.” 

“I apologize, General,” Pryde stood up, steely eyes locked on the redhead’s own, “This was just a courtesy call. I’m actually here to visit a crew member - my niece, who works onboard the Finalizer. Perhaps you know her.” 

Hux raised a brow and waited for the older man to continue. 

_“Her name is Jynna, Lieutenant Jynna Stobek.”_

* * *

Korina had remained inside her quarters for the remainder of the day following Hux’s big announcement of both their relationship and their impending parenthood. The whole thing felt surreal and the engineer half expected to wake up and find that it was all a dream. 

Within an hour of the General’s announcement Korina’s datapad had chimed with several messages of congratulations on her pregnancy, including one from Officer Gil, who had assured her that she could take as much maternity leave as she needed and would be free to return to her work whenever she felt ready to do so. While she was warming up to the idea of motherhood she enjoyed her job and to abandon it completely would be disappointing for her. 

The brunette anxiously grasped at the sleeves of her over-sized sweater, gearing up to face the rest of the ship now that the baby bombshell had been dropped, and of course the fact that she - a random engineer from Jakku - was in a romantic relationship with one of the galaxy’s most feared men. Of course, they only knew the redhead’s military persona. Korina was the one person who _truly_ knew the man beneath the harsh facade.

At least she wouldn’t be facing the crowded canteen alone. Mina had insisted on joining her roommate for dinner that evening, deeming it necessary to show the rest of the crew that she was unashamed of her situation and indifferent to the assumptions they were making about her relationship with the General. This proved to be a wise decision with the blonde woman acting as Korina’s bodyguard, shooting warning glares towards anyone who looked to be eyeing the engineer disapprovingly. 

Even though Hux had been clear about not tolerating any gossip and speculation over his personal life, Korina was not ignorant to the fact that such a warning would not extinguish all hushed conversations on the subject of their relationship and her pregnancy. 

Lieutenant Stobek had spent months attempting to ruin the engineer’s reputation by spreading false rumors and fabricating evidence to add weight to such claims. To many her words would seem credible, after all, she was an officer of the First Order with an employee record that included several commendations and glowing references from her superiors - and why would she risk jeopardizing all of that? 

Korina could hazard a guess as to what others would be thinking. Based on the picture painted by Stobek over the past year a number of crew members believed that, at the very least, that the engineer was promiscuous. No doubt there would be suspicion surrounding the paternity of her unborn child, despite whatever Hux said. 

“Ready?” Mina linked arms with her roommate. 

“As I’ll ever be,” Korina replied, “I feel sick.” 

The blonde woman smiled sympathetically, “You’ll feel better once you get a good meal inside you.” 

The duo entered the canteen which wasn’t as full as the brunette had feared, settling her nerves a little as her roommate steered her towards the selection of food on offer. 

“What are you in the mood for?” Mina inquired, grabbing two trays and placing them down in front of the metallic dishes filled with edibles. The aroma of the hot food invaded Korina’s nostrils and she realized just how hungry she was, filling her tray to full capacity with a hearty stew, crunchy salad, mashed vegetables, and a slab of fresh bread. 

With no more room left on her own tray the brunette tossed a protein cookie and some jellied fruit onto Mina’s tray. The engineer completed her meal with a tall mug of herbal tea since her usual caf was currently off limits. 

“Eating for two,” the older woman behind the counter smiled at Korina, “I remember it well.” 

“You have children?” the engineer inquired. 

“Two, a son and a daughter,” the woman replied, “Both grown up now but they’ll always be my babies.” 

Mina finished selecting her dinner and joined her roommate in the hunt for a quiet table. A hand waved from the far corner and it only took a moment for the duo to realize that it was Lieutenant Mitaka inviting them to join him. 

Both woman seated themselves opposite the Lieutenant, exchanging some brief greetings before digging into their food. “The stew’s good,” the dark haired man told Korina, motioning towards her tray. 

“So, Dopheld,” Mina began, “What brings you to the canteen so late? I thought that your bridge shift should have ended a couple of hours ago.” 

“It _should_ have,” he confirmed, “But there was last minute contact from another First Order ship - the Steadfast - requesting docking permission for a small shuttle. They weren’t due to visit and only a handful of officers arrived, which is odd.” The Lieutenant shrugged before taking a bite of his dinner. 

“Hm, that is odd,” the blonde woman agreed, “Who were the officers?” 

Mitaka frowned, “I only recognized a couple of them, but one was definitely Allegiant General Pryde.” 

“Wow, wonder what brings him here,” Mina mused. Korina looked at her roommate before turning her attention back to the man across the table, “Who’s that?” she asked, certain that she hadn’t encountered anybody with that name during her time on the Finalizer. 

“He’s the commanding officer onboard the Steadfast,” Mitaka explained, “An older guy, used to serve under the empire. I know he and General Hux have never gotten along due to Pryde being friendly with Brendol Hux back then,” the dark haired man frowned again, “The General doesn’t get many visitors but the ones he does get are always announced in advance and he usually meets them the minute they step off their transport, but he hasn’t said a word to me or anybody else on the bridge about a visitor - and he’s been in his office since late afternoon.” 

“Has he said anything to you?” the blonde woman asked her roommate. 

Korina shook her head as she pushed some vegetables around with her fork, “No, he definitely hasn’t mentioned any visitors to me.” 

“I wonder who he’s visiting if not the General.” Mina pondered. 

* * *

General Hux paced the floor of his office the minute he watched the door slide closed behind Pryde. The redhead’s work had been temporarily abandoned in favor of analyzing the new information he had become privy to, namely the fact that Lieutenant Stobek was closely related to one of his rivals. 

Once that fact was revealed, the recent inactivity from the woman made more sense, and the General understood how the troublesome Lieutenant had worked around his previous warnings. It was obvious now that she had contacted her uncle in order to recruit him as an ally in her continued attempt to remove Korina from the Finalizer, and perhaps the entire First Order. 

Hux’s biggest question right now was _‘how’_ \- How did she intend to do so? How was Pryde going to assist her? How much should he worry about the safety of Korina and the baby boy she was carrying? How could he protect his family? 

He didn’t know yet, but he would damn sure not to let Pryde and Stobek steal away his happiness. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! :)


	35. Dark Clouds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! Didn't intend to leave it so long to update. :)   
> I've been so frustrated with this chapter, I've rewritten it several times. 
> 
> Chapter contains a brief mention of blood and an instance of violence so be cautious if that bothers you. 
> 
> Thank you if you've been reading for sticking with the story! :)

Any officer who worked on the bridge of the Finalizer had witnessed General Hux in a variety of moods, from pride and smug satisfaction to fury and frustration, so on any other day those crew members wouldn’t question the angered aura of the redhead as he paced up and down. However, today’s darkened mood had taken most by surprise. 

Just a day earlier the General had been arguably the happiest anybody had seen him. His announcement the previous day had been delivered with a sense of pride and although his behavior was not completely out of sorts, the crew had noticed the little actions that offered a brief glimpse into another side of the man. 

It was clear from the way he had gently caressed the engineer’s bump, and by the way the corners of his mouth turned up ever so slightly, seemingly unable to hide his contentment. There had been no mistaking that the fearsome redhead was totally smitten with the young woman nor the fact that his impending fatherhood was a source of genuine joy. 

_What could have happened between then and now to cause the man’s mood to alter so drastically?_

The tension hung thickly in the air as General Hux spun on his heel and issued a new command, “Get me an update on the TIE squadron!” he barked, sending the bridge crew scrambling to complete the task for fear of earning a reprimand from this version of their superior, tapping away frantically at their consoles, scanning maps and communicating via earpieces. 

Strangely, Hux’s tension was somewhat relieved by the familiar sounds of the busy bridge, giving him a welcome distraction from Allegiant General Pryde’s unexpected appearance onboard the Finalizer. 

Hux had gotten very little sleep, which on it’s own was not unusual considering how much of his time was taken up by his duties onboard the Finalizer. It was the sudden appearance of Pryde and the uncertainty of the older man’s motives that had put a stop to any notion of a good night’s sleep, thanks to the redhead’s mind going into overdrive. 

The older man had already revealed his connection to Lieutenant Stobek, as well as his thoughts on Korina and the General’s relationship, but Hux knew him well enough to know that he was holding something back. It had been one of Brendol’s tricks too; to withhold certain information in order to have the upper hand over the other person. 

The General hated to be in the dark about matters - especially those concerning himself, and given his history with Pryde the redhead couldn’t help but feel uneasy, because he knew _exactly_ what the man was capable of.

* * *

A knock at the door of her quarters drew Korina out of her light slumber. 

At first she had suspected that Mina couldn’t help but double check her pregnant roommate or that Hux had decided to check up on her, but a few seconds later her sleepy brain caught up to the fact that both of those people had access codes and would therefore have no reason to knock. 

Swinging her legs out of her bed as she stifled a yawn, the engineer padded over lazily to the door and pushed on the panel which would activate the opening mechanism. As the door began to slide open the young woman peered around the door frame in order to identify her visitor, only for her brown orbs to meet the steely gaze of an older officer, a man she had never seen before. 

“Can I help you?” she asked hesitantly. 

“Miss Klovell, I presume?” the man asked expectantly, “You’re an engineer, yes?” 

“That’s correct, Sir,” Korina nodded slowly before adding, “Although if you require a repair you will need to contact Officer Gil in the engineering department, as I am currently off duty on medical leave.” 

“I’m not in need of a repair, Miss Klovell,” the intensity of the man’s stare had the engineer taking a step backwards in order to put some distance between them, although he seemed to interpret the move as an invitation to follow her inside the doorway, “Allow me to introduce myself,” he came to a halt in front of the young woman, so close that she had to crane her neck for them to make eye contact, “My name is Enric Pryde.” 

_Pryde._

Korina’s head was still fuzzy from sleep but the minute he uttered his name the gears of her mind began to turn. She recalled what Lieutenant Mitaka had said in the canteen about the man in front of her; how he had been close to Brendol Hux and shared a mutual dislike - or perhaps hatred, of the younger Hux. 

_This man was Allegiant General Pryde,_

Armitage had been honest with her about his father’s abuse and how the elder Hux’s friends would often be there to witness - and even participate in - both the mental and physical abuse. Although his name had never came up when the redhead had confided in her, the engineer had by now made the reasonable assumption that Pryde had been involved in some of the torment. 

It occurred to a now wide awake Korina that by seeking her out this man was obviously well aware of her own relationship with the General. Although it was quite obvious to the engineer that Pryde’s interest in her was yet another way for him to torment Armitage, she couldn’t help but feel she was missing something. 

“Do you have contact with your family on Jakku?” he asked her casually. 

“What?” the brunette frowned, confusion clear on her face. 

“It’s important, isn’t it - _family_?” Pryde took advantage of the young woman’s distracted mind to step further inside the room, “It gets rather lonely up here, I imagine, away from your family,” he mused, “I myself am here visiting my niece. She’s an officer onboard - a Lieutenant.” 

Something in his voice sent shivers up Korina’s spine. 

“Perhaps you’ve met her?” the man paused, eyes burning into the engineer, “Her name is Jynna.” Upon seeing the brunette’s expression drop into one of dread the Allegiant General continued, “Yes, Miss Klovell, my niece is Lieutenant Stobek,” he paused again to savor the fear in her brown eyes, “And I know that you’re well acquainted with her.” 

Korina felt sick, she wanted to escape, to get as far away from this man as possible. 

But he blocked her path to the exit. 

“Apparently, you’re the reason that my niece has been threatened with demotion,” Pryde smirked, knowing that he had the engineer trapped, “Is that correct?” Korina remained silent. “Why would a woman like Jynna be under threat from somebody like you? You’re nothing to the First Order, just another engineer. You’re expendable.” 

Finding her voice the young woman replied calmly, “That’s your opinion, Sir.” 

Pryde chuckled mockingly, “In my opinion you’d have been better off staying on Jakku and finding an occupation more suited to your... _class_.” he gave her a pointed look to emphasize his meaning without saying it outright. 

She understood. He was just implying what his niece had been for the past year. 

“I understand that Jakku is not a pleasant place to be, what with the climate and a lot of rather sinister characters around the junkyards and outposts...” the engineer saw a wicked glint in the man’s cold eyes, “To be honest I’d just bomb it and wipe out the scum completely. Perhaps I will,” he pondered, “Although it would be _most_ unfortunate if such an event destroyed your home, or should I say Bellis’ home?” 

“How did you..?” she frowned confusedly. 

“Yes, I know about her. And the others, I know their names too - Miri, Zeelia, and little Maxir.” 

“Are you threatening my family?” Korina narrowed her eyes at the smug man in front of her. 

He did not confirm or deny anything, “Your family?” he frowned, “Are they _really_ your family? No, I don’t think they are. You don’t have any _real_ family,” the man’s steely gaze burned into her, “Your parents, the sibling you never got to meet, all dead.” The engineer held back tears, determined not to let him have the satisfaction of making her cry. 

“Is that why you went to the General, hm?” he huffed and continued to pace the room, “You wanted comfort, human contact, just to be _wanted_...and then you found Hux. I’m hardly surprised by his behavior - he always was terribly weak willed.” 

“You don’t know him as well as you think you do,” Korina told Pryde. 

“And you do?” the Allegiant General shook his head in a show of pity, “You have no idea, Miss Klovell.” The engineer bravely took a step closer to the man, “I know everything there is to know about Armitage. Sorry to disappoint you, but there are no secrets between us.” 

“You are quite contrary, Miss Klovell,” Pryde began to pace the room, “You falsely claim that Jynna is a liar, a fantasist. You insist that you are not the person she says you are, and yet, your actions do not match your words. For the entire duration of your stay onboard the Finalizer, you have denied what you are - who you are,” the man paused to eye the young woman disapprovingly, “You’re a common whore.” 

“I am not,” Korina spat, “Your niece was the one who started the rumor that I was!” 

“Are you in denial, Miss Klovell?” Pryde asked, pointing down at her bump, “Because that protrusion there suggests differently,” the man approached her slowly, like a predator stalking his prey, “Did you tell yourself that you weren’t a whore when you were in Hux’s bedroom? Did you tell yourself that you weren’t a whore when you were removing all your clothes? How about when he was inside you? Or were you still not a whore when he filled you with his load?” 

The shared quarters echoed with the sound of the brunette’s palm connecting with the Allegiant General’s cheek. 

Korina’s blood ran cold as she realized what she’d done. It felt like everything were happening in slow motion as Pryde reached up to touch his reddening cheek before turning his piercing glare on the engineer. She wasn’t sure how, but she suddenly found herself on the floor, trying to piece together what had happened when a stinging sensation burned her own cheek. He had hit her back, with such force that she had landed with a thud, bumping her head on the side of an end table. 

The next few seconds were a blur. When her focus returned she found Pryde’s figure had disappeared and in it’s place was her roommate. Mina’s hand was pressing against her head and muttering something to another person. _When had Mitaka got here?_

A few seconds later the Lieutenant exited the room, leaving Mina to help her roommate into a more comfortable position as another person entered, a male medic. 

Korina attempted to listen to what was being said when the blonde woman removed her hand that had been putting pressure on her head. The brunette’s eyes widened as she saw that Mina’s petite hand was covered in a thin layer of blood, reaching up with her own hand and feeling the dampness of blood coating her mahogany locks. 

“Okay, Korina. Try to relax,” the medic’s face appeared in her line of vision, “This will help,” the man told her as he pricked her arm with a cool syringe. 

Then everything went black. 

* * *

General Hux wasn’t in a much better mood than he was at the beginning of his shift but relief was creeping in that soon he would be done for the day, free to return to his quarters and down something alcoholic to take the edge off before contacting Korina to see how her day had been and to continue planning their moving in together. 

Hux’s keen ears picked up on the sound of footsteps further down the corridor. Judging by the speed of approach and the force of footfalls, as well as the irritating squeak of boots on the Finalizer’s polished floors, somebody was running. 

One of the redhead’s pet hates when it came to his officers was running when walking would suffice. Running was for the gym or when you were in imminent danger. There was a reprimand forming on his tongue when he was able to identify the officer - it was Lieutenant Mitaka, and he looked panicked. 

Hux was suddenly frozen in place, rooted to the spot. The redhead was watching the officer’s mouth moving but only certain words penetrated his brain, and they struck fear into the General. 

_Korina..._

_Medbay..._

_Pryde..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! :)


	36. Payback

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a new chapter. It's a bit shorter than planned but I think it turned out okay. 
> 
> I really appreciate the comments and kudos on this story. Thanks to all you readers. :)

Lieutenant Mitaka was mid-sentence when the General darted past him in the direction of the medbay. The redhead’s previous concerns were completely forgotten as he hurried along the corridor with a sense of desperation, his mind swimming with a thousand different scenarios - and every one of them was as terrifying as the last. 

All he knew was that the woman he loved had been taken to the medbay and that Pryde had been the reason. Hux ’s priority right now was Korina and their unborn child. Everything else could wait. 

As for Pryde, he would deal with him later.

Practically skidding to a halt outside the double doors of the medbay, Hux took a deep breath, raising a gloved hand to hastily slick back his slightly disheveled copper locks before entering the main reception area. The front desk was currently being manned by a droid whose head turned in the direction of the redhead who was marching towards them. 

“General Hux,” the droid greeted him upon it's digital recognition, “Do you have an appointment?” 

“No, I don’t have an appointment,” he snapped, “I need to see Korina Klovell, where is she?” 

“Apologies, General, but I am unable to disclose patient information.” 

Hux was fast becoming agitated in addition to his concern for Korina, and was almost ready to take his blaster to the metallic figure before a movement behind the droid caught his eye. It was a human, that much he could tell from a short distance before the figure disappeared from sight. 

“Hello, Doctor?” he inquired, “Anybody?” A few seconds later the figure appeared in the doorway. It wasn’t a doctor, it was a nurse whose name-tag identified her as _‘Faun’_ , “General Hux,” she called over, beckoning him to follow her, “She’s with Dr. Verdi now.” 

The redhead’s footsteps were heavy as he followed the nurse down the long hallway and through the set of doors that led to the surgery suites, the location causing a flash of fear to run through him as his rapid heartbeat thundered against his chest. His anticipation continued to grow as the woman came to a stop outside of a private room separate from the others. 

He had been afraid of what he might find behind the unassuming white door, and the sight that greeted him as the nurse ushered him into the room had dread swirling in the pit of his stomach. The brunette was dressed in a plain, loose-fitting medical gown, laying on a sterile white bed with her body attached to both a drip and two separate monitors. “Korina!” he gasped, feeling the medic’s hand rest on his shoulder. 

“General,” the doctor greeted the redhead, “She’s sleeping right now as the emergency medic had to administer a mild sedative,” he explained, “It’s a safety measure.” 

“Wh...why...what are those machines for?” the General asked, gesturing to the equipment surrounding the bed. “This one’s tracking the baby’s heartbeat and this one’s tracking the mother’s,” Faun explained, pointing at the respective monitors, “Both are stable but we’re keeping them under observation as a precaution.” 

Dr. Verdi nodded in agreement, “The head wound wasn’t deep so it’s been cleaned and bandaged, but I do suspect a concussion, in which case I’ll be performing an assessment once she wakes - just to be sure. Her face will likely bruise but there shouldn’t be any lasting damage,” the bespectacled man continued, “Our main concern right now is the pregnancy since nineteen weeks is still quite early and any trauma suffered by the mother can lead to complications.” 

“What does that mean?” Hux fretted, unable to hide how deeply concerned he was. 

“Nothing is of concern right now, but I’m recommending that Korina remain here in the medbay for a few weeks.” 

“A few weeks!" the General repeated, “Why?” 

Faun stepped in to answer the General’s query, “I know it seems excessive, but while she’s here we’ll be able to oversee her care more efficiently. She’ll continue to be monitored every hour and we can ensure that she’s getting enough bed rest,” the woman reasoned, “And _if_ anything were to change we have the equipment here to treat her immediately.” 

At that moment he didn’t want Korina out of his sight, but as a logical man he agreed wholeheartedly that this was the best place for her to be right now. “Very well,” he nodded, feeling his heart ache at seeing her so vulnerable, “Can I wait here until she wakes up?” 

“You can, although I imagine she’ll be out for a while yet,” replied the doctor. 

The General nodded in acknowledgment as he gently caressed the young woman’s non-bandaged cheek, “Actually...there’s somewhere I need to go,” he spoke upon a sudden realization, “Can you let me know as soon as she wakes?” the redhead asked, waiting for Dr. Verdi’s nod of confirmation before turning and exiting the room, taking out his datapad and typing a brief message, hoping that the recipient would offer a prompt reply. 

**‘Do you want to make yourself useful? Meet me at the entrance to the Officer’s quarters as soon as possible. - General Hux’**

* * *

It was around thirty minutes later when the engineer awoke from her induced slumber. 

The air was cool and held a scent of bacta, while the only sounds were those of the steady beeps coming from nearby. Korina was almost certain that she was in the medbay but she was lacking the energy to lift her heavy eyelids in order to confirm her current location. 

The brunette’s medicated brain could only vaguely recall her interaction with Pryde but somehow she was aware that he had been the reason for her admittance to the medbay. Judging by the bandages and pain relief she supposed she’d been hurt, but all she could feel at that moment was the tingling sensation of whatever was being fed through the drip that was attached to her arm. 

As she began to rouse from her sedation panic gripped her over the fate of her unborn child, both hands coming to rest on her abdomen and tracing the curve of her bump, relief flooding through her as the door slid open and somebody entered the room. 

Forcing her eyelids open the engineer caught sight of a figure at the end of her bed. It was Dr. Verdi, and the bespectacled man was reading what she assumed were notes on her condition. “Doctor?” she managed to croak, drawing his attention. “Miss Klovell,” he smiled, “You’re awake.” 

“What happened?” the engineer furrowed her brow as she got a proper look at the machines that surrounded her. Glancing to her left she registered the presence of another person. It was Faun; a nurse that she remembered from a previous occasion, specifically the day on which Dr. Verdi broke the news of her accidental pregnancy. 

"Here, have some water," the older woman filled a small paper cup with water from a jug and helped Korina to drink some. 

“Where...where’s...Hux?” the young woman mumbled sleepily. 

“He had something to take care of,” Faun explained, brushing back her patient’s mahogany locks soothingly, “We promised to inform him as soon as you were awake so I’ll do that now,” the nurse smiled reassuringly at the engineer, “He was awfully worried about you, both of you.” 

Korina blushed at the thought of the General displaying his more vulnerable side outside of his or her quarters, knowing that his reaction spoke volumes about the depth of his feelings for her and the baby she carried; their son. The numbing sensation of her medical attention did nothing to decrease the warmth in her heart as she conjured up yet another image of their future as a family. 

* * *

Enric Pryde was irritated by his reflection, staring at the reddened hand-print that had marked the ashen skin covering his cheekbone. While he had expected the engineer to lash out if he pushed far enough, he hadn’t been prepared for the power behind her strike, whether it was out of her own physical strength or simply powered by contempt towards him he did not know. Perhaps it was a little of both. 

The door of his guest quarters slid open to admit one incensed General Hux, face twisted into a mask of pure loathing. “General, how nice of you to call by,” the older man feigned surprise at the redhead’s sudden appearance, but of course he had been expecting this visit, “Can I interest you in some caf? Or perhaps something stronger?” 

Pryde’s smirk dropped slightly as another figure entered the room behind the General. 

The tall and broad figure was clothed in a black hooded robe and displayed the hilt of a lightsaber clipped to his belt, the silver tone matching that of the detailing on the mask of darkness covering the man’s face. There was no mistaking the identity of this hooded figure. 

He had _not_ been expecting this. 

“Allegiant General,” the modulated voice of Kylo Ren greeted him, “Take a seat.” 

The older man seemed to collect himself rather quickly, masking his discomfort as he took a seat on the armchair beside him, casually crossing one leg over the knee and placing his clasped hands elegantly atop it. “I didn’t realize you’d acquired a bodyguard, General,” he raised a brow towards the redhead, “Did the thought of facing me alone fill you with fear?” “Not at all,” Hux replied with a sneer, “I was simply aware of your underhand tactics.” “Oh? And what underhand tactics might those be?” Pryde inquired with feigned innocence. 

General Hux replied through gritted teeth, “You know _exactly_ what I’m talking about, so why don’t you just admit it?” 

“Let’s just get this over with,” Kylo Ren suddenly spoke up, taking a step towards the Allegiant General as he thrust out his arm, the fingers of his gloved hand splayed out in the direction of the older man, who grimaced as the Force user dug through his mind with no care for his discomfort. 

Having been an unfortunate recipient of such treatment before, General Hux was adamant that he would not allow Korina to go through it, not when he could get the information he wanted from the source of the earlier incident. 

“Well?” Hux looked on expectantly. 

“He struck her,” Ren stated simply, “He saw her bleeding and left her there.” 

“That harlot struck me first!” Pryde retorted, “You need to teach your bed warmer some manners!” 

The General growled, “Do _not_ speak of her like that, in fact, don’t speak of her at all.” 

“Or what, Armitage?” the older man inquired mockingly, “Your father isn’t here now, the Hux name has no influence within the First Order anymore!” Pryde appeared to forget the presence of Commander Ren as he continued to provoke the redhead, “Perhaps you should consider returning to Jakku with your little whore and your bastard child." 

Before Hux had a chance to respond the older man was suddenly ripped from his seat and thrust across the room, hitting the wall with a satisfying crunch before landing on the ground with a thud. The impact was barely noticeable on the reinforced wall as Pryde lay on his back taking panting breaths as he attempted to gather his bearings. 

“You’re welcome,” Ren deadpanned as he observed Hux’s look of surprise. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! :) 
> 
> Anything you'd like to see in future chapters?


	37. Sweetness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was not supposed to take so long to get posted. 
> 
> Anyway, this feels kind of like a filler chapter to me, but I needed to write something fluffy and also explain Ren's actions from the previous chapter. Next chapter will include Hux joining forces with Mina and Mitaka! 
> 
> Thank you for sticking with the story and know that the comments and kudos are much appreciated. :)

It had taken a great deal of guts on Hux’s part to ask for Ren’s help, although as it turned out, the Force user’s assistance had been surprisingly easy to gain upon discovering the reason for the General’s request. The volatile man-child would not have ordinarily been willing to assist his rival, simply because when he wasn’t destroying First Order property he took pleasure in irritating the redhead by other means. 

But on this occasion, whatever was left of the masked man’s integrity had overrode his desire to be difficult, more so for the General’s loved ones rather than the man himself. 

Commander Ren held no interest in any of the Finalizer’s crew, who served only as an outlet for his frustration and indignation, so the identity of a random engineer was irrelevant to him. However, he did find that Hux’s mood had improved greatly since entering into a romantic relationship, which was part of the reason for his willingness to help the fearsome redhead. 

The Force user knew that it would be beneficial for him to earn his way into the General’s good graces now and having a bargaining chip tucked away for future use. Hux knew this of course, but the prospect of having one less tantrum - and it’s inevitable trail of destruction - to deal with was an attractive one. 

Besides the personal bonus to be gained by helping out, Ren was not that fond of Allegiant General Pryde. Although he did not loathe him as Hux did, the older man’s boastful comments about his years serving under the Emperor, and making references to Kylo’s own grandfather had become a little tiresome in the short time he had been onboard the Finalizer. 

As satisfying as it had been to witness, Hux had _not_ been expecting the violent turn that the visit to Pryde’s quarters had taken, his sole intention had been to somehow extract the truth surrounding the officer’s presence in Korina’s quarters and her subsequent admittance to the medbay. And now he knew. 

He’d been left in no doubt that lines had been crossed and damage had been done.

_But what would his next move be?_

Naturally, there was to be harsh punishment, but his previous efforts to deal with Lieutenant Stobek had been unsuccessful - and now there was Pryde to consider too. Dealing with them both would be tough so Hux made a mental note to gather Lieutenant Mitaka, Captain Vane, and Phasma later on in order to develop a strategy - the sooner the better. 

The chime of his datapad had the General reaching for the device in anticipation of news from the medbay. He was in luck, with the sender’s brief message informing him of Korina’s current status. According to the words on screen she had recently regained consciousness and her condition remained stable, although Dr. Verdi had confirmed his diagnosis of a concussion. 

_‘Patient has requested your presence’_ read the footnote, the formality of which amused the General. In other words, she had been asking for him, and he was happy to oblige. 

* * *

Korina’s sedation was gradually wearing off but it was fast being replaced by hunger, thanks to the fact that her confrontation with Pryde had caused the engineer to miss lunch, which was more than a little disappointing since she’d been enjoying her mealtimes now that nausea was no longer an issue. 

She shifted into a sitting position on the bed and glanced around the room for any indication of what time it was. The brunette’s movement caught the eye of the nurse, who had been quietly sitting behind a desk in the far corner of the room, prompting the medic to abandon her sorting of supplies and make her way towards her patient with a warm smile. 

“How are you feeling?” she inquired as she checked the various equipment attached to the young woman, “Can I get you anything?” 

Before Korina had the chance to verbally convey her hunger a particularly deep growl from her stomach did it for her, earning a raised eyebrow from Faun, who reached over and pushed a button on the panel beside the door. Said door opened less than a minute later to admit a service droid who beeped twice to alert the nurse of its presence, prompting the older woman to input a code that unlocked the midsection of the droid and opened to reveal something akin to a cooler. The nurse reached inside and removed a clear dish containing an array of colorful fruit, placing it in front of Korina before proceeding to lock the compartment and send the droid on it’s way. 

She was so hungry that she probably would have eaten any food that was set in front of her, so it was a pleasant surprise to be served such an appetizing dish in the medbay of all places. There had to be at least six different fruits in the bowl but Korina could only recognize a couple, wondering silently if this was standard for all patients or if General Hux had pulled some strings. 

The engineer cast aside that thought for now since her gut continued to protest it’s hunger, and she _was_ eating for two, after all. Under the watchful eye of Faun she selected a slice of yellow fruit and took a delicate bite out of it, humming in appreciation at the subtle sweetness before popping the rest of the slice into her mouth. 

The nurse filled another cup of water and placed it down beside the bowl of fruit, smiling warmly at the young woman before turning her attention back to the monitors currently keeping track of both mother and baby. “Boy or girl?” she asked, glancing over her shoulder at the engineer. 

“Boy,” Korina replied, this time selecting a green colored piece of fruit, “We only just found out.” 

“Well he seems to be just fine at the moment, so you can relax a little,” Faun perched herself on the chair beside the bed, “Now that your sedative has worn off I can see the tension returning to your shoulders,” she informed the younger woman, “Remember to relax. You and your son are in good hands.” 

The brunette pondered as she chewed on a pinkish fruit of unknown origin, “How long have you been a nurse?” she asked upon taking a sip of water. 

“Since well before you were born, I’m sure,” the older woman replied with a knowing smile, “I started training when I was nineteen. My grandmother was a nurse too and I wanted to follow in her footsteps. I’ve worked here on the Finalizer for around three years and for a while before that I worked on some smaller First Order ships.” 

The younger woman looked down at her bump, “I wonder if he’s going to follow in our footsteps.” 

Korina wasn’t thinking about whether their son was going to end up as an engineer or a General. She was thinking about whether his childhood would be a happy one, being born to two parents whose own childhoods had been traumatic for different reasons; orphaned, abused, and abandoned among other things. 

Faun patted the brunette’s knee reassuringly, “He’ll be fine as long as he follows his heart and does what makes him happy.” 

Before Korina could reply the door opened and the General stepped inside, his sapphire orbs seeking out his lover. 

“Korina,” he breathed as he saw her, now propped up by pillows and sipping from a cup of water, “I got your message,” the redhead half smiled, removing his greatcoat and draping it over his arm, “How are you feeling now?” 

“Armitage,” she smiled, arm outstretched in his direction, beckoning him over. Upon reaching her the General took her hand in his own and pressed a gentle kiss to her palm, “I missed you.” 

“I know,” Hux spoke softly, “I had to take care of something, but I’m here now.” 

“Pryde...I didn’t want him there, I just...” she tried to explain but was quickly cut off by Hux, who cupped her cheek with his free hand so that he could look into her eyes, “Don’t, you don’t have to say anything, I already know.” Brown eyes were already glossy with tears before he’d finished speaking. 

“I’ll give you two some privacy,” the nurse said as she made her way towards the door. 

“Thank you,” Hux offered a response that sounded more curt than intended. 

The moment the door closed behind Faun the pair melted into each other, hugging and kissing and whispering words of reassurance as an outlet for the mixture of emotions produced by the day’s events. Fear, panic, and anger that had been joined by relief, gratitude, and an increased need to protect and be protected. 

“The doctor says I need to stay here for a while,” Korina murmured as they held each other. “Do you mind?” Hux pulled back a little to see her face, “All I want is for you to be safe. Both of you,” he added, placing his gloved hand on the bump that held their unborn child. 

The engineer placed her hand over his and nodded, “I’ll stay. But I’ll miss you.” 

“I will be here every moment that I can,” the General assured her, “I’m placing my trust in the medics to keep the people I love safe and healthy,” he added with a smirk tugging at his mouth, “And you know they wouldn’t wish to disappoint me, since I’ve been told on occasion that I’m rather terrifying when I’m angry.” 

“Where did you hear that?” Korina replied with a grin. 

Hux matched her grin as he cupped her face in both hands and brought their faces together until there was barely an inch between them, noses touching and warm breath ghosting over skin. There was pure adoration in his blue eyes for the woman whose brown ones mirrored that sentiment. Their gazes locked for a split second before one set of lips met the other in a kiss that was equal parts desperate and comforting. 

Neither one was sure how long their kiss lasted since it turned into a number of kisses, some brief and tender, some drawn out and full of longing. It pained Hux to pull away but he wasn’t about to elevate the brunette’s heart rate any further lest her monitor begin to alert the medics. Brushing a loose strand of hair from her face the General sighed, “I love you, Korina. More than words can say.” 

“The feeling’s mutual,” she replied with a smile. 

“I’ll have Mina collect some of your belongings and some of your own clothing that you can wear instead of this awful gown,” the redhead told her as he gestured down at the coarse fabric, “I haven’t worn one personally but I’ve been told that they are not the most comfortable garment.” 

“You were correctly informed,” the engineer replied, “Can you ask Mina to bring my datapad and remind her that I already have a few things in a bag beside my bed? I know we haven’t discussed a date for me moving into your quarters but I did begin packing a few things in preparation. Was that too presumptuous of me?” 

“You think I’d be offended that you’re excited for us to live together?” Hux raised a brow. 

Korina shrugged, “I thought you might be uncomfortable if I seemed too keen.” 

“Not at all. I’m equally keen for us to live together,” the redhead confessed, “And when you get out of here we can do just that,” determination flickered over his features before adding, “In the meantime, I’m going to make sure that _nobody_ will stand in the way of our happiness.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! :)


	38. Acceptance and Denial

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! Apologies for the sudden lack of updates.  
> This chapter has been through five different drafts, no kidding. 
> 
> Anyway, hopefully this satisfies my readers who've stuck around! :)

It was either extremely late or incredibly early. 

Armitage Hux had no idea which, only that sleep had evaded him for the past few hours as he tossed and turned, longing for the peace with which he drifted off whenever Korina was by his side. He always slept much better in the engineer’s company and her absence now made the bed feel empty and cold. 

Had the General been able to sleep he would have objected to the high pitched chime of his datapad with a hissed curse and a frustrated growl as he sleepily fumbled in the darkness. Instead, the blinking light of the device was a welcome distraction from the redhead’s insomnia. 

Before he had bode Korina goodnight the General had spent a good few minutes lecturing Dr. Verdi and several other medbay staff on the importance of contacting him via his personal comlink should the engineer’s condition change during the night. Of course, he couldn’t discount the prospect of some lazy intern sending a generic alert to his datapad, and so he opted to check his new message immediately. 

A brief glance at the notification on screen bore no cause for alarm - even with the sender listed as First Order high command. 

Receiving such an alert was not an uncommon occurrence since those in command of their own ships, especially larger vessels such as the Finalizer, were occasionally contacted in order to arrange onboard inspections or transfer of equipment such as weaponry. 

But as the General’s sapphire eyes adjusted to the brightness of the screen he took notice of the words on the subject line. 

The redhead sat up straighter in his bed throwing off the covers as he leaned to the side and hit the switch that activated the beside lamp. He shook his head in a mixture of bemusement and disbelief as he read the words on screen, double and triple checking the text before replacing the device to its place on the bedside table. 

_“Unbelievable...”_ he whispered into the darkness. 

* * *

Captain Mina Vane was similarly surprised when the General reported the news to her several sleepless hours later in his office, “It seems that Allegiant General Pryde has lodged a complaint with high command regarding my leadership and he’s seeking to have me relieved of my command of the Finalizer.” 

“You’re kidding!” Mina exclaimed, unnerved by the redhead’s surprisingly calm demeanor. 

Not that you could blame her. Before Korina and his unborn child came along the blonde woman would have bet every single credit she owned on the General cherishing nothing more than his rank and his ship. He was the epitome of somebody who was ‘married to their work’ with no time to spare for such frivolity as a personal relationship. 

“Here,” Hux holding out the device towards the blonde woman, “See for yourself.” 

The Captain’s eyes widened slightly as her brain digested the words in front of her, “So, what happens now?” she pondered out loud, eyes still glued to the screen, “Can you appeal or something?” 

“I’ll be called into a disciplinary meeting within the next week,” the General replied nonchalantly as he adjusted his gloves, “I expect Pryde will be pushing for the soonest available opportunity. He’s not wasting any time in trying to oust me, that’s for sure.” 

“Wait, can he do that - get you kicked out? Like, is that a genuine possibility?” asked Mina, partly out of pure curiosity but mostly out of concern for what Hux’s removal would mean for Korina and the baby. 

The redhead considered her query for a moment, “Logically speaking, yes.” The blonde woman felt slightly uneasy as she watched the corner of the General’s mouth twitch slightly upwards before returning to his well-practiced mask of indifference, “But we won’t let it come to that.” 

Before she could ask for clarification on who exactly the _‘we’_ was referring to, Mina snapped to attention as the office door whooshed open to admit the chrome armored figure of Captain Phasma. 

Hux observed the height difference as both women drew level. You might have said they were shoulder to shoulder, although the description was somewhat redundant as Mina’s clothed shoulders were closer to Phasma’s armored hips. 

Turning his torso slightly to address the much shorter woman, the General clasped his gloved hands behind his back in a stance that seamlessly transferred him from her roommate’s significant other to her own fearsome superior, “Captain Vane, I expect to see both you and Lieutenant Mitaka outside my quarters at 21:00 hours,” Mina nodded, “Yes, Sir.” 

“You’re dismissed,” the redhead dipped his head in acknowledgement. 

The shorter of the two women promptly made her exit from the General’s office, still pondering what sort of assistance she could offer against Pryde since the redhead’s orders seemed to include both herself and Mitaka. 

In all the chaos of Korina’s medbay admission the Captain had almost forgotten about Mitaka and her confusing feelings towards him... 

She’d not spoken to the Lieutenant since the previous day when he’d been the one to fetch Hux upon discovery of Korina’s injury at Pryde’s hands. 

They were perfectly fine as friends, she told herself, shrugging off her shifting emotions as a result of her roommate’s pregnancy hormones rubbing off on her. She did not voice this theory out loud, nor did she mention to Korina anything that suggested her feelings for Dopheld might be skewing away from the path of friendship. If she weren’t so _stubborn_ Mina would have admitted to herself that the hormone theory was wishful thinking and that the only thing rubbing off on her was her own hand in the shower, where her sinful moans were disguised by the running water. 

Shaking the thought out of her head the blonde woman brushed a non-existent crease from her jacket and headed back to work. 

* * *

Pregnancy had brought with it a fatigue that made the engineer thankful that she was no longer working daily, and incredibly grateful to be bedbound for most of her day. Mina had been there the previous evening with a bag packed full of everything Korina could possibly need for her extended hospitalization, from clothing and toiletries to the pile of books that had been littering the brunette’s bedside table back at their shared quarters. 

Korina’s datapad had also been retrieved by her roommate, which was fortunate since she could send and receive messages without having to leave her room in search of another communication device. The best thing that Mina had brought with her though was the engineer’s beloved blanket that reminded her of her family back on Jakku - biological or otherwise. 

The pregnant patient was sitting up in bed reading when Dr. Verdi walked in, “How are you feeling?” asked the bespectacled man for what seemed like the hundredth time. 

“Same as I did an hour ago,” the brunette replied, swiftly followed by a yawn. 

The doctor smiled sympathetically, “I know that it must be very frustrating for you to be confined to this room, but this way we can ensure the safety of yourself and the baby. It would benefit the both of you to get some light exercise. If you're up to it I can have a nurse escort you for a walk within the medbay?” Korina smiled, “I’d like that.” 

The doctor nodded, “I’ll go and arrange that now.” 

Shortly after lunch the nurse arrived, helping the engineer out of her bed before the pregnant woman slipped a heavy robe over her pyjamas and toed on some slippers, pausing by the wall mirror to fix her hair before exiting the room. Korina was glad of the robe, its weight and thickness keeping her warm and shielded from the cool air of the Finalizer. 

* * *

While the brief escape from her sterile white room had been a delight for Korina it had been the complete opposite for General Hux, whose reaction upon entering the engineer’s room to find an empty bed had been one of panicked confusion, finding no trace of the brunette’s presence thanks to the efforts of the cleaning droid that had already changed the bedding and cleared away any remnants of lunch. 

The redhead attempted to brush off the extent of his anxiety when the engineer returned a short while later, but his flushed cheeks, slightly out of place hair, and evidence of perspiration on his ungloved palms did a poor job of downplaying the fact that he had been minutes away from ordering a ship-wide search. 

“Have you slept?” the engineer questioned, already suspecting the answer. 

“No,” the General admitted begrudgingly, “It seems that your presence is the cure to my insomnia.” 

“Does that mean that you won’t be getting up to do night feeds once I’m back?” the brunette raised a brow jokingly. Hux shook his head, “I’ll be doing my fair share of baby care,” he placed a hand delicately atop Korina’s bump and smiled softly, “I’m sure I can manage on minimal sleep until you’re out of here.” 

“Or,” the engineer suggested, shifting on the bed in order to make room, “You could take a nap with me now,” she gestured to the spot she’d created for him. “I have to be back on the bridge in an hour,” he frowned sadly. “So don’t waste any time,” Korina grinned as she tugged on his arm. 

The rest of his body followed willingly, although even with his tall and slim physique it was a squeeze to fit both expectant parents on the bed, and after a few minor adjustments they were settled into a close embrace, careful not to press on the engineer’s bump. They lay in comfortable silence for a few minutes simply enjoying each other’s presence. Hux found great comfort in the close proximity as he nuzzled into the brunette’s warm neck and inhaled the familiar scent of her mahogany locks. 

The engineer was the one to break the silence as she shifted slightly, “I’ve been thinking...” 

Armitage turned his head to meet her brown eyed gaze, “Yes?” he prompted. 

“About baby names,” Korina finished, “I’ve been making a list of possibilities on my datapad.” 

“Oh, and have you decided on one?” 

It went without saying that the General was not acquainted with the topic of baby names. He had never been fond of his own moniker, with Korina being one of the only people permitted to utter it in his presence. He had never paused to consider what he would name a child, even in the weeks since news of his impending fatherhood had properly sunk in, although he was fairly confident that he could compile a list of names not to use for his unborn son. 

_'Brendol' would be right at the top of that list._

Korina shook her head, “No, I would never decide our son’s name without you. I don’t even know if you’ll like my suggestions. I want his name to be something we both agree on.” 

“Okay,” Hux nodded, adjusting his position on the bed, “Tell me.” 

Korina retrieved her datapad from the bedside table and turned on the device, staring silently at the screen as she waited for her list to load, “Shall I read them out?” she asked, beginning to do so when Hux nodded his head in affirmation. 

“Ledo... Oren... Aven...,” she watched the redhead’s reaction to each name in the corner of her eye. His expression gave little away although his face scrunched up a little when she came to a name he disliked, “Raivus... Haberus...Varlo...” 

“Varlo Hux,” the General mused, “I like it.” 

“Really?” Korina took in the man’s expression. He nodded, “It’s a good name, strong but not too serious.” Brown eyes blinked in surprise at Hux’s voluntary critique of the name. The redhead took the engineer’s stunned silence as a negative reaction, prompting him to back-pedal, “I mean, unless...unless you _don’t_ like it, we can choose another name. I don’t...” Armitage found himself silenced by the feeling of Korina’s warm lips pressed against his own. “I do like it,” she answered upon pulling away, “I’m just surprised to see you so...enthused about it.” 

“Well then,” Hux grinned but said nothing else. The engineer chuckled lightly before pressing a lingering kiss to the underside of the redhead’s jaw, “Rest now,” she whispered before tucking her head snugly against his chest. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! :) 
> 
> Feel free to drop some suggestions or predictions for the next chapters.


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